Elusion of the Despondent: Part 1 - Obliviousness
by Aniza
Summary: Power comes with a high price, and yet we abuse it. Life is more precious than anything, and yet we take it for granted. This lesson has been been taught numerous times, and yet mankind continues to make the same mistake. Now the price must be paid in the form of a life... so that the people will finally learn.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

An eleven year old boy laid in bed, screaming in agony, his hands fisted in his blankets. His mother knelt beside him with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Gohan..." she wailed. "Oh my precious baby..."

The boy screamed out again, desperately clutching his shirt. His hair flashed gold for a couple seconds, then returned to its inky black color.

"I can't believe how much his condition was worsened in the past three weeks..." said a blue haired woman.

"Poor kid..." mumbled a bald headed man. "I wish there was something we could do for him..."

"I know..." said Bulma. "We all do Krillin..."

Gohan let out a pained groan. Chi-Chi began to sob, and Bulma put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Chi-Chi looked up at the woman for a second before burying her face in Bulma's shoulder.

"Chi-Chi..." Bulma whispered. She wrapped her arms around the other woman and sighed.

Four people stood outside the house. Three of them were together by the woods while the last one remained alone, leaning on the side of the house.

A red cheeked dwarf sat on the shoulders of a three eyed man. A man with a scarred face stood with them.

"Is Gohan going to be alright, Tien?" asked Chioutzu, looking down at the man.

"I don't know..." Tien replied.  
"I hope so." said Yamcha.

A scream sounded from within the house and rang in the four men's ears.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed.

"The brat isn't going to last much longer..." he muttered, pushing himself off the wall. "Kakarrot, where are you?"

* * *

5 months prior…

Gohan sat up in bed and stretched his arms with a yawn. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing. The half saiyan stretched once more before walking over to the window, looking outside.

Gohan smiled. This was the day he agreed to meet with Piccolo and Dende at the Lookout. His mentor insisted he visit, and Gohan was more than happy to oblige. He had some exciting news for them, anyway.

The boy eyed the landscape, taking in the warmth of the sun.

It had been two months since the Cell Games and since he'd last seen anyone, with the exception of Piccolo and Dende, who he'd seen a couple weeks later. Piccolo had told him to come to the Lookout through their mind link, and being the sneaky kid he was, Gohan slipped out of the house while his mom was cooking. He didn't stay at the Lookout for long, fearing his mother's wrath if she found he'd left without permission. Piccolo was blunt, saying he wanted the demi saiyan to come to the Lookout in two weeks, no exceptions. The Namekian's voice was firm, but Gohan knew that Piccolo really just missed him. He did, too, after all.

Gohan's smile widened at the memory. He turned and grabbed his clothes, racing to the bathroom. The boy was out in a flash, dressed in the clothes Piccolo had made for him before the Games, save the cape.

He ran down the hall and out the door, completely overlooking the breakfast spread, and his mother, at the table.

Chi Chi sighed and walked out the door.

"Gohan!"

The commanding voice that belonged to his mother pierced through the air. Gohan froze, just about to take off.

He'd completely forgotten to ask for permission to go.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Gohan shifted nervously. "I, uh… I'm… going to… the Lookout?" he said quietly.

Chi Chi's eyes narrowed. "And when were you planning on telling me?"

Gohan gulped and looked down. "Sorry, mom… I kind of forgot to tell you…" he murmured.

Chi Chi glared at him, but her eyes sparkled with amusement.

'I think I'll play a little trick on him…' she thought.

"You're not going."

Gohan's head snapped up.

"What?" he asked, wide eyed.

"You heard me. You're not going, Gohan." She repeated firmly.

The look of shock and confusion on the boy's face was almost enough to make Chi Chi immediately take back what she said, but she pressed on, knowing Gohan would appreciate her next move.

"But… I…" Gohan mumbled.

"No buts. You're not going…"

Gohan stared at her, disappointment written all over his face, before lowering his gaze to the ground. Chi Chi smirked.

"You're not going until you have breakfast."

Gohan shot his gaze at her again and saw the smirk on her face melt into a warm smile. He laughed.

"Okay, mom." He said, walking back inside.

Chi Chi chuckled and went inside as well. She sat across from Gohan and smiled, watching him gorge down the food at light speed.

'He looks just like his father…' she internally mused, blissfully closing her eyes.

A small phrase escaped her lips. One she'd regret ever saying out loud.

"I wish Goku was here…"

The woman was blissfully unaware of the sight before her. Gohan had clenched his fist, snapping his chopsticks in half. Slowly, painfully, he swallowed the food in his mouth. His eyes were shielded from view by his bangs.

The boy abruptly stood, and it was only then that Chi Chi realized what was happening before her. She immediately felt a pang of worry for the boy.

That's when she realized her mistake.

"Gohan, wait, I-" she started.

"I'll be going now."

The boy's words were merely a whisper, but the intensity in them were as clear as day. Chi Chi reached out to her son, calling his name, but he had already taken off. Her arm fell to her side as she gazed at his retreating form, worry etched in her features.

"Gohan…"

* * *

Gohan flew towards the Lookout at high speed. He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

"I really am nothing without you, dad…" he muttered.

The boy shook his head. No, Goku said he didn't want them to be upset over his death. He closed his eyes, focusing his thoughts on Piccolo and Dende. A small smile replaced the frown on his face.

"Yeah… I have too much happening today to be upset over this." He told himself.

The boy's smile grew as he remember the news he had for the two Namekians. He increased his speed to its max in his base form, eager to talk with them.

"They're gonna flip when they find out."

* * *

Dende was excited.

Dende was delighted.

Dende was _impatient_.

"Calm down, he'll be here." Piccolo said, crossing his arms.

The young guardian turned around and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Piccolo. I'm just really excited to see Gohan again." He replied.

Said warrior smirked. "I know what you mean, Dende. Trust me, I'm looking forward to this as much as you are, if not, more."

Dende eyed him. Piccolo recognized the expectant look in his eyes. It was the same look Gohan would give him during their training that said, "It's almost time for lunch, he'll have to give me a break soon."

The Namekian chuckled at Dende's resemblance to Gohan.

"He'll be here soon, Dende." He reassured him.

"Yeah, and how soon is soon, anyway?"

Both Namekians turned to see Gohan standing at the edge of the Lookout, an innocent grin on his face. The boy saluted.

"Hiya." He said.

Dende smiled and ran up to him. "Gohan!"

"Hey, Dende." Said half saiyan replied. "Ya miss me?"

"Of course I did!" the young guardian exclaimed. "It's been so long since we've last seen each other."

Gohan nodded. He looked at Piccolo and walked up to him.

"You asked, I came." He said. "What's my prize?"

The Namekian warrior chuckled. "You know full and well I don't reward people for completing favors."

The boy grinned. "Right. And remember the time you gave me those apples when you first left me in the desert?"

"I wasn't asking you for anything, and you didn't even earn a reward."

Gohan crossed his arms. "You were gonna use me to take over the world. That was part of the debt you owe me."

Piccolo smirked. "But I never did. So you really owe me."

Gohan narrowed his eyes at him. "I brought you back to life and got you away from Freeza when you were down. Pretty sure that compensates."

Piccolo shook his head with a chuckle. 'You've done a lot more than that, kid.' He thought.

Gohan flinched as something came to mind. Suddenly a large grin appeared on his face.

"I just remembered, I've got some really big news." He said.

The other two eyed him.

"What is it?" asked Dende.

"So, my mom's been getting sick lately so she asked Bulma to see if there was anything wrong with her. And…" Gohan trailed off, barely able to contain his excitement.

"And?" asked Piccolo.

Gohan's grin cracked even wider. "And it turns out… I might be getting another roommate." He said.

The two Namekians didn't get what the boy was hinting at, and Gohan was counting on it. Piccolo and Dende simply eyed him in extreme confusion, something that Gohan found hilarious. The half saiyan was going to push for a better reaction, but he just couldn't hold it in.

"My mom's been getting sick because she's gonna have another baby!" he blurted out.

The others' eyes widened. Dende ran up to Gohan.

"Awesome, Gohan! Congrats!" he exclaimed.

Gohan smiled. "Thanks, Dende." He said. "I can't wait! Bulma said she should be due in seven months, but I know that'll fly by in no time!"

The two boys started conversing. Piccolo cracked a small smile, but not at the prospect of another kid from Goku. It was at seeing Gohan so happy.

Ever since the Cell Games had ended, Gohan's spirits had been a bit down. Piccolo could sense it, even when they hadn't seen or even talked to each other. He could feel Gohan was in pain, and every time they conversed, whether it be through the mind link or in person, Piccolo could tell his happy tone of voice was just a front. This day, however, the boy seemed genuinely happy, and for that Piccolo was grateful.

'You've already suffered a lot, kid. You don't need to bear anymore.'

"So, Gohan. What have you been doing the past two months?" asked Piccolo.

Gohan turned to him and shrugged. "Nothing much, except study."

Piccolo raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "So you haven't been training?"

Gohan shook his head. "No, I don't really want to train anymore… And even if I did, Mom would never let me no matter how bad I wanted to."

Piccolo kept his gaze on the boy for a few seconds before grabbing his turban and cape and throwing them off to the side. Gohan eyed him confusedly.

"I'm not going to try and change your mind about training, kid, but a friendly spar isn't going to hurt you." He said, smirking. "I wanna see how much your fighting has worsened over these past two months."

Gohan grinned. "I don't mind that." He said. "And did you just say my fighting has worsened, Piccolo? You don't know..."

Both got into their own stances. Dende quickly made for the sanctuary, deciding to watch from the safety of the building.

Piccolo eyed his opponent carefully. 'Even though he doesn't fight anymore, he's choosing to go on the offensive… He's only ever made the first move once, during the Cell Games. Rather, it's the only time I remember him doing so…' He smirked. 'I guess his new transformation's made him grow a backbone.'

Gohan launched at him. He aimed a punch to Piccolo's ribs but the latter blocked his fist. The namekian's smirk faded. Gohan spun around and kicked him in the side. Piccolo stumbled a bit but managed to regain his balance. His small frown increased. The half saiyan jumped up and threw a roundhouse kick to the head, but his opponent caught his foot, flinging him away. Gohan flipped in midair and landed softly on his feet. Piccolo crossed his arms.

"You're holding back." He said.

Gohan smiled shyly. "Well… I don't wanna… You know, accidentally… um…" he trailed off awkwardly.

Piccolo sighed, shaking his head. "Gohan, you can't hurt me. Not in your base form."

Gohan rubbed the back of his head. "R-Right…" he said. The boy got into a stance. "Start again?"

Piccolo smirked and got into his own stance. Gohan came at him again, this time with a barrage of attacks. Piccolo was able to dodge all but one, where he stumbled. Gohan used to opportunity to faze behind him and kick him in the back. Piccolo flew forward but spun around, firing a blast at the half saiyan. Gohan deflected it, sending it flying high. Piccolo shot at him this time. Both threw a flurry of punches and kicks at each other, every blow blocked or dodged.

Gohan nailed Piccolo right in the jaw, sending him flying backwards. The boy created a blast in his palm. Piccolo flipped in midair and eyed Gohan, who sent the energy blast flying at him. Piccolo smirked and caught it.

"You'll have to do better than that, kid." He said. "Turn into a Super Saiyan."

"What?" asked Gohan. "Why?"

"This is way too easy." Piccolo replied.

Gohan eyed him uneasily but exhaled with a nod. He drew in a sharp breath and released his power, a golden aura exploding around his form. His hair turned gold and his eyes became teal.

Suddenly the boy froze, his eyes widening. His aura vanished, and Piccolo flinched.

"Gohan? What's wr-"

He was cut off by a scream. Gohan fell to his knees, fisting his hand in his shirt. Piccolo rushed to his side, his stomach churning.

"Gohan? Gohan! What is it?" he urged.

The boy could only gasp for breath as he completely collapsed on the floor, letting out strangled shouts of pain.

Dende quickly rushed out from the tower and made his way to both fighters. He knelt before him. Piccolo turned to the guardian.

"Dende, what's happening?" asked Piccolo.

The young namekian closed his eyes and extended his hands. A minute passed before Dende sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know… There's no sign of injury or illness… All I can get is that his power is fluctuating… It's releasing a little bit at a time, like it's being restrained and it's trying to break free. But I can't tell why." He said.

Piccolo turned back to Gohan. Suddenly, his hair faded back to black and he relaxed, falling unconscious.

"Gohan? Gohan!" he yelled.

Dende laid a small hand on the boy's forehead. "He's fine, just unconscious." Said Dende. "But what was that?"

Piccolo's brows furrowed.

"I don't know…"

Ooh, what's wrong with Gohan? Is he sick? Or maybe he's injured… Or maybe…

Next chapter:

" _He just collapsed and started screaming, right after he powered up to Super Saiyan." Said Piccolo._

" _There has to be some reason why he just broke down like that…" said Dende._

 _Piccolo exhaled. "I've only seen something vaguely similar to this once before… When Goku fought Android 19…" he muttered._

" _Why did that happen?" asked Dende. "Why did Goku break down?"_

" _Goku had a severe virus that…"_

 _Piccolo trailed off, his eyes widening._

" _No… It can't be…" he murmured._

" _Piccolo, what is it?" asked Dende, growing increasingly more nervous._

 _Piccolo looked to the floor in denial._

" _It was when Goku was attacked by the heart virus… The one that killed him in Trunks' timeline…"_

Just a little preview of what's to come in the next installment. I must admit, I'm not particularly pleased with the length of Gohan's spar with Piccolo, but I didn't want to drag this chapter out too much before I introduced the conflict. Other than that, I'm fairly satisfied with how chapter one turned out. I still feel like the prologue was a bit… lacking.

I'm unbelievably excited for this new series. Like I said before, this series shouldn't affect the installment dates of my other series, _The Hidden Powers_ in the slightest. Emphasis on "shouldn't." I really can't make any promises. But I've practically finished this series for DBZ, _Elusion of the Despondent_. I just need to upload everything, and possibly edit some stuff. Okay, _certainly_ edit some stuff… But, as I've said, it shouldn't affect the release dates of the chapters for my other series, if not slightly.

That's pretty much all I've got for you guys. Next chapter, "Aftershock," should be up in a week or so. And I'd like to say one thing to all my viewers regarding the next chapter,

Not everything is as it seems…

Until next time,

Sayonara~!


	2. Chapter 2 - Aftershock

Yeesh, I knew it'd probably be long but not this long… Sorry for the wait.

And I just realized, I haven't done the disclaimer.

I do not own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT (I'm glad I don't…), or Dragon Ball Super. If I did, Gohan wouldn't have become a power ranger in the Buu arc.

If I forget the disclaimer for the next chapter,

bite me.

Piccolo sighed, leaning against the wall. He looked at Gohan, who was lying in bed. Every so often his fists would clench in his sheets and he'd let out a gasp of pain. Piccolo's stomach churned every time he d

'I don't get it… Why did he just collapse like that? Was he injured?' He thought. 'No, that doesn't make sense. I never hurt him during our spar… so then what was that?'

Dende walked in, earning Piccolo's gaze.

"I'll take a look." The younger Namekian said. Dende walked up to Gohan and placed a hand on his forehead, closing his eyes. His hand glowed a soft yellow. Dende stepped back a minute later, shaking his head.

"I can't find any injuries…" he said. "Maybe he's sick?'

Piccolo's narrowed thoughtfully. "I doubt it. He seemed perfectly fine during our spar." He said.

The door to the bedroom opened, and Mr. Popo walked in.

"Hi, Mr. Popo." Said Dende.

"Good morning, Dende, Piccolo." It was then that Popo realized Gohan was there. "Oh my, what happened to Gohan?"

Dende looked at his friend sullenly. "We don't know… he came here a while ago and he had a spar with Piccolo. He was fine until he turned Super Saiyan… Then he let out a cry of pain before collapsing…"

"Goodness…" Said Mr. Popo. "Is he alright?'

"We're not sure. He isn't injured at all, and we don't think he's sick." Piccolo explained. "We'll just have to ask him what happened when he wakes up."

Dende sighed. "I don't get it. What could've gone wrong?"

"You say you he isn't injured, correct?" asked Popo.

Dende shook his head. "No."

"He just collapsed and started screaming, right after he powered up to Super Saiyan." Said Piccolo.

"There has to be some reason why he just broke down like that…" said Dende.

"Have you seen anything similar to this happen before?" asked Popo.

Dende shook his head. He looked at Piccolo, who shook his head as well.

"I've never seen him do anything like this before." He said.

"What about anyone else?" Popo continued.

"What?" asked Dende.

"It's possible that he may have caught some illness. Or perhaps he inherited it from a family member." The former explained.

Piccolo exhaled. "I've only seen something vaguely similar to this once before… When Goku fought Android 19…" he muttered.

"Why did that happen?" asked Dende. "Why did Goku break down?"

"Goku had a severe virus that…"

Piccolo trailed off, his eyes widening.

"No… It can't be…" he murmured.

"Piccolo, what is it?" asked Dende, growing increasingly more nervous.

Piccolo looked to the floor in denial.

"It was when Goku was attacked by the heart virus… The one that killed him in Trunks' timeline…" he muttered.

Dende gasped.

"What? But how is that possible?" asked Dende.

"I don't know…" said Piccolo.

"How did Goku recover from it?" asked Popo.

"He had medicine Trunks brought from the future, but I don't think there's any more left…" Piccolo muttered. "Darn it, how could this have happened?!"

"Piccolo, calm yourself." Said Popo, immediately identifying the worry in the namekian's voice. "We can't guarantee that's actually the case here."

The fighter exhaled sharply and started for the door when a soft voice ran in the air.

"Where am I…?"

Piccolo whipped around to see Gohan sit up, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"What happened…?" he asked sleepily.

"Gohan!" Piccolo exclaimed.

Said half saiyan looked at him. "Huh? Piccolo?" The boy blinked, completely coming to his senses. "Wait, where am I? Is this the Lookout?" he asked, looking around.

Piccolo walked towards him. "It is." He said. "You've been unconscious for about half an hour now."

Gohan eyed him confusedly. "Unconscious? What do you mean?" he asked. "What happened to me?"

"You collapsed during our spar." Said Piccolo. "You turned into a Super Saiyan and broke down screaming before you blacked out."

Gohan's eyes widened in recognition. "I remember now…" he murmured. "I turned into a Super Saiyan and…"

"And?" asked Dende.

"Can you tell us what happened?" asked Piccolo.

Gohan looked down at the snow white sheets covering him. "…I powered up to Super Saiyan… And then, out of nowhere, a sharp pain just shot through my body. I could feel a weird sensation in my stomach. And then I realized it was my energy. I was releasing vast amounts of energy at an alarming rate. I-It was like, like my power was trying to escape… And then everything started burning. Like my body was being torn to shreds… Like my energy was destroying my body, if that makes sense… I soon realized that was gonna happen if I didn't try to contain my power, so I forced it down… And then everything went black."

"Did your chest hurt at all?" asked Piccolo.

Gohan shook his head. "It wasn't in a specific area. It was widespread pain, mostly in my ribs." He replied. "It… It felt like… burning."

Piccolo narrowed his eyes. Gohan looked at him.

"Why? Is there something special about my chest?" he asked.

Piccolo shook his head. "No. I just thought that maybe… you'd contracted Goku's heart virus." Gohan's eyes widened. "But it doesn't look like it is." The namekian added quickly.

Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. "So… If it's not that, then…?"

Mr. Popo stepped forward. "You said it felt like your energy was trying to escape, right? What did that feel like?' he asked.

Gohan turned his head to him. "It felt like my power was bubbling up inside me. Like a volcano." He explained.

Dende looked down in thought. "Bubbling up inside you, huh?" he muttered.

"It was shooting through my veins like fire…" said Gohan. "Like, at any moment, I was going to explode…"

"Explode?" asked Piccolo. Gohan nodded.

'Explode… That's strange… I've never heard of anything like that…' Dende thought. 'Not in sickness or injury or anything… Should I ask Elder Moori…? But how would I do that?'

Mr. Popo noticed Dende's contemplative expression.

"Is there something the matter, Dende?" he asked.

Dende flinched and looked at him before looking to the ground.

"I don't know what's wrong with Gohan… But I think I know someone who might…" he said.

Piccolo and Gohan turned to him.

"Who?" asked Piccolo.

Dende looked at him. "The Elder of my village, Elder Moori." He said.

Gohan's eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, I remember him! He took Guru's place as the leader, right?"

Dende nodded. "Yes. But… I don't know how to reach him." He explained.

Gohan grinned. "Don't worry about that, we'll just ask Bulma for help!" he said. "And if she can't do anything, then… um…"

"We could ask King Kai." Piccolo suggested.

"But, how would we reach him?" asked Dende.

"Oh, we could ask Fortuneteller Baba. She's always hanging out with Yemma at the Check in Station, or so I've heard." Said Gohan.

"Do you know where she is?" asked Mr. Popo.

Gohan sighed. "I'm not sure… And I don't think I can pick up her energy…" he muttered. "We could ask Roshi."

Piccolo nodded. "We'll see him after we see Bulma." He said.

Gohan looked away. Piccolo eyed him weirdly.

"What is it?" he asked,

"I wonder what Vegeta's gonna be doing." He said.

Piccolo scoffed. "Probably training." He muttered.

Gohan chuckled. "Probably."

* * *

"Come on Trunks! Come on, you can do it!"

Said baby took a step forward, wobbling slightly from the uneven turf.. He looked at his mother determinedly, making a noise of triumph. Bulma cheered.

"Yay! That's my boy!" she exclaimed. Trunks started whining about something. Bulma picked him up, looking at him,

"Aw, what is it Trunks?" she asked. Trunks bobbed his head toward the side of the house. Bulma turned to see Vegeta leaning against the side of the house, his eyes closed and his arms crossed. Bulma sighed.

"Don't worry about your daddy, Trunkie. He's just in a bad mood." She said. 'Like always…' the blue haired woman maternally mused.

Vegeta's eyes opened and he looked up. Bulma raised an eyebrow and looked in the direction of his gaze, finding two figures flying in the sky. Vegeta grunted irritably and walked away, unwilling to associate with either Gohan or Piccolo.

The pair landed in the front yard. Bulma grinned widely.

"Gohan!" she greeted. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hey, Bulma." He replied. "We kinda have something to ask you…"

"Knock yourself out, kid." She said.

"Well… Something happened earlier today and… We were wondering if you had any way of contacting the Namekians." The boy explained.

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need to contact them?' she asked.

"Um… Well, we have something we need to ask him about." He answered.

Bulma looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, kiddo. They don't have any sort of device there…" she said.

Gohan sighed. "Oh, okay. Thanks anyway, Bulma." He said.

Bulma nodded, confused. Gohan turned and took off. Piccolo turned to follow as well but shifted his gaze to Bulma.

"I don't want to alarm you or anything… But I want you to know that you shouldn't be too surprised if something… happens to Gohan." He said before taking off. Bulma's expression became concerned.

'Something happen to Gohan…?' she thought worriedly. 'What is he talking about?'

Vegeta, who was watching from behind the house, narrowed his eyes.

"Something happen to Gohan?" he muttered. "What could happen to someone like him?"

* * *

"Hey, she's here."

Baba, Roshi, and Turtle turned to Gohan.

"Gohan!" Roshi exclaimed. "It's good to see you."

"Hi, Master Roshi." The boy greeted. "Hey, Baba? Can I ask for a favor?"

Baba turned fully to him. "Well, I don't usually do requests, but if it weren't for you, I'd be stuck spending the rest of my life with Yemma." She mused.

Gohan smiled wider. "I need you to contact King Kai… There's something I need to ask him." He said.

Baba eyed him weirdly. "Why? Is there something going on?" she asked.

"Well… Kinda…" Gohan said quietly.

Baba kept her gaze on the boy for a few seconds before sighing.

"Alright." She said, clambering on top of her crystal ball. "I'll get a hold of him for you. It should take about fifteen minutes, give or take."

Gohan nodded. "Thanks a lot." He said.

Baba nodded and floated out of the house and away. Gohan turned to Roshi.

"Thanks, Master Roshi. And sorry to bother you." He said.

Roshi shook his head. "No, it was nice to see you again, kid." He said. "Take care, alright?"

Gohan nodded. "I will." He said, flying off. Piccolo followed suit.

* * *

Gohan and Piccolo landed at the Lookout. Dende ran up to them.

"Were able to contact King Kai?" he asked.

"We got a hold of Baba." Said Piccolo. "She's going to contact King Kai for us."

Dende nodded. Gohan looked up to the sky.

"…I wonder what's wrong with me…"

Aaand done! Okay, so ya know how I said, "In a week or so?" Well, guess it turned out to be "or so," huh? I have to admit, this took a lot longer than I expected. That being said, I can't really put a date on the next chapter. It should be up by the end of the month, though. "Should" being the operative word.

And that's all I've got for ya'll.

Ja ne~!


	3. Chapter 3 - Trigger

Ok, better than last time, not the best it could be.

WARNING: Maybe feels. Probably not, but warning anyway.

Oh yeah.

I don't own Dragon Ball Z. Or the entire Dragon Ball series, for that matter. Otherwise Cell and Gohan would've become rivals. …wait…

Uh… disregard that last statement, it was a stupid thought, right? Yeah, never gonna happen! HAHAHAHaHahaha…

Ahem. Anyway. On to the story.

* * *

Piccolo sat on the ground, meditating, leaving the boys to converse while Mr. Popo went inside the sanctuary. Gohan talked to Dende about life after the Cell Games, and how he found out his mother was pregnant.

"I had no idea what happened, just that my mom rushed to the bathroom really fast and came back looking really sick. I asked her if she was okay but she just smiled and waved it off. I was still really worried, though, so I went to Bulma…"

Gohan continued explaining everything that had transpired to Dende, and all the while a dark feeling brewed in his chest. Something bad was gonna happen, Gohan could feel it.

" _Hey, can anyone hear me?"_

Gohan looked up.

"King Kai?" he asked aloud. "Wow. That was fast."

"You did take your time getting here." Piccolo reminded him. Gohan chuckled.

"Oh yeah…Figured wasting fifteen minutes doing nothing wouldn't be the best way to pass the time…" he said.

" _Anyway, I've heard you wanted to ask me something."_ Said King Kai. _"Knock yourself out, kid."_

Gohan opened his mouth before hesitating. Piccolo raised a brow.

"What's wrong, Gohan?" he asked.

"Uh… King Kai? Is… Is dad listening to this?" the boy inquired softly.

" _Huh? Uh, no, he's off training in another part of Upper Heaven. Why? Is there something wrong?"_ the deity asked.

Gohan looked down a bit. "There might be…" he said. "Earlier today… I was having a spar with Piccolo. Just a friendly match, you know? But… When I turned Super Saiyan, something went wrong and I collapsed in pain."

" _Pain?"_

"Yes. There was… A burning feeling, like my energy was bubbling up inside me and trying to force itself out of my body. It was as if I was going to self-destruct… But it only did that when I turned Super Saiyan."

" _Hm… That's strange…"_

"I was wondering if… You knew what might have happened…" Gohan murmured.

" _There's a few possibilities. Maybe you released your energy too fast."_

"I don't think so… I released it normally." Gohan looked at Piccolo. "Right?"

Piccolo nodded. "That's right." He said. "We thought Gohan might have contracted Goku's heart virus, but it doesn't look like it."

" _Any injuries?"_

"No." Gohan replied. "I'm not sick, either."

" _Huh… Sorry, Gohan, I don't know what it is…"_ King Kai said.

"Dende," said Popo. "You said Elder Moori might know something."

The young guardian nodded. "Yes, but I don't know how to reach him…"

" _I can help with that. Just give me a sec… Alright, go ahead, kid."_

* * *

" _Elder Moori? Can you hear me? It's me, Dende."_

Moori flinched. He dropped the staff he was holding and looked up.

"Dende? Is that you?" he asked.

" _Yes. I have a question to ask you."_

"Go ahead, my child."

" _You remember Gohan, right?"_

Moori smiled. "Ah, yes, that little boy from Earth, right?"

" _Yes. Earlier, he was sparring and when he was powering up, he collapsed."_

"Oh my," Said Moori. "Is he okay?"

" _He's fine… He said it felt like his energy was bubbling up inside him, like he was going to explode. Do you know anything about that?"_

Moori looked down. "Hm…" he muttered. "No… I' afraid I don't, Dende…"

" _Oh…"_

Suddenly, the old Namekian flinched.

"Wait, I think I know how we can find out." He said.

" _Really? How?"_

"We just need to ask Porunga." Said Elder Moori. "Surely he knows."

" _Ah! Of course!"_

"I have them all gathered in one place, just give me a minute." Moori ran inside his house and came back, three other Namekians following suit carrying the dragon balls. They placed them on the ground and Moori stepped forward, extending his hands.

"Porunga!"

The skies turned dark and the dragon balls glowed. A bright light shot out of them, and with it, Porunga revealed himself.

" _Did you summon Porunga?"_

"Yes, I did." Moori replied. "I'll ask him what's wrong with Gohan." He turned to the great dragon. "Seriun parus behali. Ghanthi katata de sali."

Everyone remained quiet, anxiously awaiting the dragon's answer.

" _The reason the half saiyan Gohan had collapsed earlier was because he lost control of his power."_ The dragon answered.

* * *

Back on Earth, everyone flinched.

"What? How did that happen?" asked Gohan.

" _Porunga, can you tell us how this came to be?"_ asked Moori.

" _The half saiyan's power is releasing itself, because Gohan's body isn't mature enough to be able to contain the amount of power he has. Ever since he ascended two months ago, his awakened powers have been trying to escape."_ Porunga answered.

Gohan gasped. "That's what happened?" he asked.

Piccolo's eyes widened. "That's insane…" he muttered.

" _Gohan ascended at age eleven. However, that ascension was brought on at too young an age. The amount of power awakened from the ascension is too great for a body he possesses to be contained. Only a fraction of his dormant powers have been awakened, however. He still has some power that lay dormant."_

"What?! You mean he still has more hidden strength?!" Piccolo exclaimed.

" _That is correct."_ Porunga answered. _"By ascending, Gohan lost complete control of his power. As time passes, Gohan will lose more control, as more of his dormant power will begin to awaken."_

"What's going to happen to him?" Dende asked nervously.

" _In approximately six months, Gohan will lose whatever control he has, and he will fall victim to it."_ Said Porunga.

Piccolo and Moori flinched.

"What does that mean?" Dende asked.

" _He will be destroyed by his own powers."_ Porunga answered.

Gohan's eyes widened. Piccolo and Dende gasped.

" _Porunga, is there any way to correct this?"_ asked Moori.

" _There is not."_ Porunga answered.

"What? Why not?!" Piccolo demanded.

" _I cannot take away his power, nor can I change his body to make it a proper vessel for his power, as it is beyond my ability to do so."_ Porunga answered. _"Taking away a person's powers is too energy consuming, not to mention I wouldn't have anywhere to keep that power. Changing a person's body would require me to change their entire existence, which is beyond my power to do."_

Piccolo's heart thundered against his chest. No, there had to be some way to save Gohan. This couldn't be his fate. The boy had done so much for everyone, what did he do to deserve this?

Gohan looked down. "…There's… no way to fix this…?" he murmured.

" _There is not."_ Porunga answered.

"…I see. Thank you, Porunga…" the boy said softly. "…Thank you for letting us use the dragon balls, Elder Moori…"

" _I'm sorry we couldn't do anything for you, young one."_ The old Namekian apologized.

"That's okay…" Gohan replied.

"Goodbye, Elder Moori." Said Dende.

" _Goodbye."_

Gohan let out a heavy sigh. "So that's how it was, huh…?" he said quietly.

" _Gohan, I'm sorry…"_ said King Kai.

"It's okay… Thanks for letting us talk to the Namekians, King Kai." The boy said. "Um… King Kai? Can… Can you not tell my dad about this…?"

" _Why?"_

"…I think I'd rather tell him myself, if that's alright with you…" the boy explained.

" _I see. Don't worry, I won't tell him."_

"Thanks, King Kai." Gohan replied. "Bye…"

" _See you later, kid."_

Piccolo stalked over to the boy and put a hand on his shoulder. Gohan looked down, his bangs covering his eyes.

"…Piccolo?" he asked quietly.

"Yes?" the namekian replied, trying to ignore his aching heart.

"…I want to keep this between us. I… I can't tell anyone now, I-I just can't…" the boy requested.

"You have my word, kid. I won't say a thing." The namekian replied. "Gohan?"

"Yeah?"

"…I'm sorry."

"Don't be." The boy eyed him and forced a smile. "At least I'll get to see dad again…"

Piccolo eyed him sympathetically, but didn't reply. He turned away, his sorrow turning into anger.

'This is all Goku's fault… He was counting on Gohan to ascend without thinking about what that could do to him! Darn it, Goku, what were you thinking?!' he thought furiously. 'You really did set him to die by making him fight Cell!'

"Piccolo?" asked Gohan.

The Namekian looked at him. "What is it?"

"Is this… because my dad made me fight Cell?" Gohan asked. "Is this because of that decision…?"

"Why do you ask?" Piccolo inquired.

Gohan looked away.

"…Because I think… I think it might be." The boy said quietly.

Piccolo kept his gaze on the boy for a few seconds before sighing.

"I don't know, Gohan…" he muttered.

Suddenly, a soft laugh came from the boy. Piccolo eyed him confusedly. Gohan looked at him.

"I think it's better that dad's not here." He said.

"Why do you say that?" asked Piccolo.

"Because if he were alive," started Gohan. "Mom would've killed him for this anyway."

Piccolo forced a smirk before turning to the sanctuary and walking inside. Gohan turned to Dende.

"Sorry for ruining the day, Dende." He said.

Dende shook his head. "No, don't be!" he said. "This wasn't your fault, Gohan."

"I know." The half saiyan replied. Gohan looked to the sky.

'…but then... who's was it?'

Done! Again, better release date than last time (I think), but not exactly the best it could be. Wow, I wrote this all in the course of about 2 hours. Ugh… This seems so fast paced but I've gotta get this moving… But man, I threw a curveball in this one.

BUT! Don't worry! I would never let Gohan die!

At least, not until he gives Goku what's coming to him.

Anyway, I'm gonna keep this short and sweet so…

Sayonara!


	4. Chapter 4 - Strand of lies

I don't own DBZ. If I did, Gohan would get the respect he deserves.

WARNING: Feels. Lotsa feels.

Maybe.

Depends.

* * *

Gohan walked slowly toward the door to his house. He'd told Piccolo he'd be leaving a few minutes prior, politely denying his offer to come with. Gohan was worried, he had no idea how his mother would react to the news. She had already lost her husband two months ago. To lose her son… It hurt even to think about what she'd do when she found out.

The boy stopped in front of the door and reached out to the door handle when he heard a male voice coming from inside.

"Gohan's out, huh? Well, I'll just wait here until he comes back. I wanna give him these presents myself."

Gohan flinched and looked around, spotting a car parked near the house.

"Grandpa's here…?" He whispered.

The boy sighed. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about explaining everything again." Gohan flinched. "Oh, right… the others…"

At least he wouldn't need to worry about his mother having to explain everything.

The boy slowly cracked open the door, peeking inside, before opening it completely and walking inside. He shut the door behind him, softly. Chi Chi turned and caught sight of him.

"Gohan, you're home early." She said.

Ox King stood from his chair and grinned widely. "Gohan, it's great to see you again!"

"Ah… hi Grandpa…" said half saiyan said. This would be harder than he thought.

Chi Chi immediately knew something was up. Gohan never acted quiet or reserved when Ox King visited, not even when he was feeling upset. Something had to have happened.

The woman walked up to her son. "Gohan, is there something wrong?" She noticed her son's condition. "What happened to you? You look exhausted."

Gohan eyed her confusedly and walked over to the mirror on the wall. He flinched at how tired he looked. It was as if he hadn't had sleep in weeks.

He turned to his mother sheepishly. "Um… I guess I didn't get much sleep last night…" he said awkwardly.

Chi Chi's eyes narrowed. "Gohan." She said.

Gohan internally grimaced. 'She can see right through me, can't she…?' He thought in dismay.

"Why did you come back so soon? It hasn't been that long since you left." She said. "What happened?"

Gohan noticed that she sounded more concerned than angry. He looked to the floor awkwardly.

"Uh… Not much, just had a little friendly spar with Piccolo, that's all." He mumbled.

"Then why do you look so tired?"

Gohan stayed quiet. Chi Chi out her hands on her hips.

"Gohan," she said in a commanding voice. "What happened at the Lookout?"

The boy stayed quiet.

"Well?"

He shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to answer his mother, he already knew the news would break her heart.

"Answer me."

He closed his eyes.

"Gohan."

He couldn't take it anymore, looking at his mother with a great sadness that made her eyes widen.

"Mom, I'm sorry!" he said in a strained voice. "I… I have something to tell you… it… it's important."

Chi Chi's suspicious look changed into a worried one.

"What is it, sweetie?" She said, the concern clearly shown in her voice.

"... You know how Piccolo and I were having a friendly spar, right?" he asked.

She nodded.

"While we were sparring… Something happened and I collapsed." He said.

Chi Chi's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness, are you alright?!" She exclaimed, looking him over. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine… sorta." He replied.

"What do you mean, 'sort of?' Gohan, what's going on?"

"..."

No.

He couldn't do it. He just couldn't tell them the truth. He was too afraid to see how they'd react. He had to lie. He had to.

The boy took in a shuddering breath, forming a quick response in his head. He decided he'd go off of what happened to Goku in Trunks's timeline. It fit with the circumstances, his father had fallen ill in this timeline as well.

"We couldn't find out what was wrong, so we asked the dragon on Namek. And he said… I contracted dad's virus.

Chi Chi and Ox King gasped.

"What? How?!" the former exclaimed.

"I don't know... We didn't ask." He said. "...we don't have medicine left, either… So…"

Chi Chi stared at the boy with wide eyes before fainting. Gohan quickly caught her, picking her up. The boy placed her on the couch, eyeing her guiltily. He turned to Ox King.

"Sorry, Grandpa… I guess I'm not gonna be able to enjoy these gifts you got me…" the boy said quietly.

The large man hugged his grandson. "Gohan, don't be sorry... " He looked at him, a smile appearing on his face. "Don't worry! We can still have fun, right? Yeah, we can have a lot of fun before… before that time comes." The man laughed. "We'll have a lot of fun! Everything's gonna be just fine!"

However, Gohan only eyed him with sympathy. Everything the man did was forced, he could tell. His grandfather was simply trying to make him feel better. But Gohan could also tell he was unwittingly doing it for his own consolation as well. He was unconsciously trying to convince himself everything was fine. But it wasn't.

Gohan sighed. "I'll have to tell the others about this…" he said. "I'm not looking forward to it… But at the same time I want to get this over with…"

Ox King looked from the boy to his sleeping daughter and back. He put a hand on Gohan's shoulder.

"Go on." He said.

Gohan flinched.

"Go on. Tell them. You should just tell them and be done with it." Ox King smiled. "I'll keep an eye on Chi Chi."

Gohan stared at his grandfather for a minute before forcing a smile and nod. "Okay. Thanks, grandpa."

The boy walked over to the phone and dialed a number. A female voice sounded.

" _Hello?"_

"Bulma? It's me, Gohan." The boy replied.

" _Gohan! Did you find out what went wrong?"_

"Yeah... "

" _What happened?"_

"You'll find out soon… But, can you gather the others?"

" _Why? Gohan, what's going on?"_

"...I'll explain everything. Just get everyone to Capsule Corp."

" _Okay_ …"

"Thanks Bulma… Bye."

Gohan hung up the phone and walked out the door, waving at his grandfather.

* * *

Bulma set down the phone and crossed her arms, looking down in worry.

"What could've happened to him? He was so brief with me, Gohan's never been like that…" she muttered.

Trunks, who was sitting in a high chair, whined. Bulma turned to him.

"What is it, Trunks?" She asked.

The boy gestured to the window, making some noises. Bulma looked in that direction and walked over to the window, looking outside. She spotted a figure flying towards them.

"Who is that?" She muttered.

The figure waved.

"Hey, Bulma!"

Bulma flinched. "Krillin!"

The man floated over to the window. Bulma opened it, smiling,

"Hey! What's up, Krillin?" She greeted.

"Eh, just wanted to drop in, say hi." He replied.

Bulma laughed. Trunks made a noise. Krillin and Bulma turned to him, and the little boy pouted in disapproval of being ignored.

"Hey, Trunks." Said the man. Trunks' frown faded when he found the attention turned back to him. The boy laughed.

"It's a good thing you came, Krillin." Said Bulma.

Krillin eyed her confusedly. "Really? Why?" He asked.

"Gohan wanted everyone to come here. He's got something to say."

"What's that?"

Bulma's smile faded. "I don't know. All he's told me is that something happened earlier today… He was being pretty vague about everything…'

She walked over to the phone. "I need to get Roshi and Yamcha." She said, dialing a number.

" _You've reached the Kame House."_

"Oolong?"

" _Bulma, is that you? How's it going?"_

"Not too bad. Listen, I need all of you guys to come over, quick." She said.

" _Sure, but why?"_

"Gohan's got something to say."

" _Gohan? Cool, I haven't seen the kid in ages now!"_

Bulma smiled, but gripped the phone in concern. "...I'm not sure if what he has to say is anything good, Oolong."

" _What makes ya say that?"_

"He was pretty quiet when he was talking to me… And he sounded, disturbed."

" _Huh. Well, okay then. We'll be there."_

The woman smiled. "Thanks, I'll come by and pick you guys up, okay?"

" _Sure. See ya in a bit, Bulma."_

"Bye."

The woman hung up the phone with a sigh. "Well, I'd better head over and get them." She said.

"You want me to go pick up Yamcha?" Asked Krillin.

"Do you mind?" Asked Bulma.

The man shook his head. "No, of course not, Bulma."

The blue haired woman smiled. "Thanks, Krillin."

* * *

Gohan silently landed in front of Capsule Corp, looking around. No one was there, so he figured Bulma must've left to get the others from Kame House. Thank god, he really wasn't ready to face them.

He would make it fast and leave. He would... He would...

"Brat."

Gohan cringed, cursing his luck.

The half breed turned to see Vegeta eyeing him with crossed arms. Gohan couldn't read his expression; he didn't seem suspicious or accusatory, unlike his usual self.

Vegeta could be so complicated at times.

"Yes?" The boy meekly replied.

"What're you doing back here?"

Gohan eyed him carefully. "I… have some news."

"About what?"

Gohan furrowed his brows. The man didn't sound suspicious, either.

"...About something that happened earlier today."

Vegeta kept a solid gaze on the boy.

"The Namekian said something interesting."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"He told Bulma that something may happen to you. Does what you have to say concern that?"

The half saiyan looked away. "Yes, it does." He answered quietly.

"What is it? What's going to happen?"

Gohan blinked at the genuine curiosity Vegeta's voice. He sighed.

"...Well, you'll find out soon Vegeta."

"I don't have time to wait for the rest of those fools. What is it?"

Gohan looked down warily. "...It has to do with...something that shouldn't have been done."

Vegeta was about to ask another question when two people landed nearby. Gohan turned to see Krillin and Yamcha. He sighed in relief. 'Perfect timing.' He thought.

"Hey, Gohan!" Called Krillin, running over to the boy. Vegeta growled annoyedly and stalked off. Gohan smiled, relieved.

"Hi," the boy replied. "What's up, you guys?"

"We should be asking you that." Said Yamcha. "Why'd you call us here all of a sudden?"

Gohan face sullened a bit. "I… have some news." He replied.

"Like what?" Asked Yamcha.

The boy sighed. He really didn't want to have to say it more than twice. "...Wait until the others get here. You'll find out then."

With that, Gohan walked toward a tree and jumped up to a big branch, settling himself on it. Yamcha looked at him in confusion before turning to Krillin, who shook his head.

"Something's up… Gohan has never shut people off like that before." Said Krillin. "We should leave him alone for now, Yamcha."

Yamcha looked to the half saiyan and nodded.

A while later, Bulma's plane landed and the others walked out, cheerfully expecting a warm surprise. They wouldn't be getting what they wanted.

Gohan, who was leaned back on the trunk of the tree, let out a heavy sigh and jumped down from his branch. The boy landed softly on his feet. Gohan didn't move an inch. It was going to be hard breaking it to them.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" Oolong greeted.

Very hard.

The boy clenched his fists, looking away.

The pig raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Gohan?"

'Everything…' the boy thought bitterly.

Gohan drew in a deep breath to calm the pain in his chest. "I, uh… I have some pretty big news…"

The others' faces instantly brightened. Gohan sulked a bit. They all thought it was good news. How wrong they were...

"What is it, kid?" Asked Oolong.

"W-Well…" The hybrid's heart started to beat furiously. "I-I talked to the eternal dragon of Namek, Porunga… After something happened earlier today… And… It turns out… something's gone wrong."

The expectant looks on everyone's faces faded.

"What happened?" Asked Puar.

The boy opened his mouth, then hesitated, struggling to keep his composure. He felt Vegeta's presence behind him; the saiyan was listening as well.

"Well… You know how I'm… I'm…"

The demi saiyan clenched his fists. No, he couldn't do it… He couldn't… He had to lie to them, too.

"...U-Uh… Well… The dragon said... I… I contracted dad's heart virus…" The gasps coming from the others stabbed through his heart.

Please… don't make this last any longer than it has to…

"What?! How?!" Exclaimed Yamcha.

"I don't know… we didn't ask the dragon…"

"Why not?" Asked Bulma.

"W-Well… I-I was so surprised, I guess I just wanted to wrap things up fast and leave…" It was true, he did. He did now, too. "I don't think we have any more medicine, either…"

Vegeta eyed the boy in shock before gritting his teeth and stalking off.

'No! This can't be right! Darn it, I was going to get back at Kakarrot for making a fool out of me by defeating his son and now I'll never get the chance!' He thought angrily. 'This is Kakarrot's fault, isn't it?! Who else's could it have been?! Surely not the brat, he shouldn't have needed to take that medicine Trunks gave his father!.'

The man snarled and took off, needing to blow off some steam.

Gohan looked down.

"Sorry, guys… I'm sure you were expecting good news." He murmured, his voice slightly hoarse. His energy had started to release itself again, and suppressing it was getting tiring.

Krillin felt his heart throb. Losing Goku, his best friend, was hard enough. Now Gohan? It was just was too much…

Bulma's eyes welled. "No… Gohan, you… Y-You saved the world, and this is how…" she stuttered.

Gohan nodded slightly, "Yeah…"

The boy opened his mouth to say he was leaving when Bulma ran up to him, trapping him in a tight hug. Gohan stiffened, stunned. Slowly, he put his hands on her shoulders, recovering from his shock.

"Bulma… It'll be okay…" he murmured.

"No! Are you kidding?! You said we don't have any more medicine, so what're we going to do?!" She cried, tears slipping down her cheeks. "You saved the world, what did you do to deserve this?!"

Gohan didn't answer.

Krillin walked over and put a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Gohan, I'm really sorry…" he said.

Gohan shook his head. "Don't be…" he said. "It's okay, really…"

Gohan looked to the sky. '...Is this what I get for leading dad to his death? Was this inevitable?' The boy clenched his fists tightly. '...Did I lead myself to my own destruction?'

"Was this my fault…?" He muttered softly.

"What was that?" Asked Krillin.

Gohan flinched slightly before shaking his head. "No, nothing."

The boy wanted to get it over with fast, but they went and made a big deal about it… Why? Why would they do that for…?

"Guys…" he murmured. "Really, it's okay…"

No one heard him, though, caught up in their grief. Gohan sighed heavily, a pain pulsating in his chest.

'At least they know now… Even if it was a lie. Tien and Chioutzu aren't here, but they'll learn eventually.' He thought. '...Life won't change too much for them, hopefully. And mom… she's strong… She'll get through this… I hope.'

Bulma continued to hold the boy in her arms, crying softly. 'This just isn't fair… Gohan doesn't deserve this… He saved the Earth from Cell, and this is what he gets in return? And what about Chi Chi? She already lost Goku, and now she's going to lose Gohan, too! She'll be all alone. Not to mention, she'll have to take care of-"

She flinched.

 _She'll have to take care of the baby._

"Gohan…" He looked down at her, catching sight of her wide eyes. He eyed her confusedly.

"What is it, Bulma?" He asked.

"What about the baby?"

Gohan's eyes widened.

His sibling… His baby sibling… would be all alone, with nobody to care for them but his mother. They would only have his mother, no brother, no father, just Chi Chi. And she would have no one but the baby.

Why did life have to be so cruel?

"Bulma…" The fact that his voice quivered and his hands were shaking scared the blue haired woman. "...I don't know what to do…"

Bulma hugged him tighter. "We'll figure this out, together." She said. "I promise."

Krillin squeezed his shoulder and nodded. "Yeah, bro. Don't you worry."

Gohan nodded, somewhat dazed from how much he'd taken in in the past few hours. He had to leave, he couldn't take it anymore.

The boy stepped back, forcing Bulma to relinquish her hold on him. They all eyed him confusedly.

"I have to go… Mom and Grandpa are probably worried." He muttered.

He didn't want to go home. He just wanted to run away. But he couldn't. They made such a big deal about it, and he felt so guilty. He didn't want to hurt them, he didn't want to make them feel bad, but…

Bulma reached out to him. "Gohan, wait-"

However, the boy quickly turned heel and took off as fast as he could. Bulma and Krillin eyed his retreating form worriedly.

"Gohan…" the former whispered.

* * *

What was he thinking?

Gohan blinked back the water in his eyes. Why did he have to up and leave the way he did? Was it guilt? He supposed it was, he did ruin their day. Most likely. Gohan expected a subtle reaction, not a waterfall of tears.

The boy sighed and looked down at the Earth. "Why? Why care about someone like me…? Why, after what I did to dad?"

Gohan sighed, deciding he should go back home. He reached Mount Paoz in a few minutes, landing in front his house. He reached for the door handle but hesitated. He'd be hearing something from his mother for sure. What, he didn't know.

It wasn't going to be pleasant, he knew that.

The boy opened the door to find that Chi Chi was still asleep on the couch. Ox King looked at him.

"That was quick." He said.

Gohan opened his mouth to ask how long he'd been out, but instead closed his eyes with a sigh. He decided not to question it. He was too tired.

The boy rubbed his eyes exhaustedly. "Grandpa… Do you mind if I take a quick nap? I'm really tired…"

Ox King nodded. "Go ahead, it's fine. You look like you could use one."

Gohan gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, grandpa..."

Ox King shook his head. "You've been through a lot today. Go ahead, I'll be fine."

The boy nodded, walking to his room. Gohan fell on his bed, a hand falling over his wet eyes. A single tear slid down his face as an almost inaudible sob escaped his lips.

"Why is life so unfair…?"

* * *

King Kai kept his gaze on the floor, ignoring Goku's whines for food. The deity couldn't believe it, Gohan was going to die, with no way of coming back to life. He was more than worried about how exactly he was going to die, and how Goku would react. The results were going to be bad in both cases, that was for sure.

Goku caught a good look at King Kai and noticed his hands were clenched tightly at his sides. The saiyan saw a bead of sweat roll down his face. King Kai was nervous. But why?

"Yo, King Kai, you look really nervous. What's up?" The man asked nonchalantly.

King Kai flinched. "What? Oh, uh, nothing, i-it's nothing, I just, uh… I have a stomachache." He said, flailing his arms in the air.

Goku's eyes narrowed. "You're pretty tensed up." He said. "Hm… Oh, I know why!"

King Kai flinched. "Huh? You do?" He asked.

Goku laughed. "Sure I do! It's cuz we're dead, so you don't know how the other kais'll react when we get to this place you were talkin' about! Don't worry King Kai, they probably won't say a thing!"

King Kai stared at him before forcing a laugh. "Oh, yeah! That's it! Uh, thanks, Goku."

The saiyan grinned and ran down the long path that was Snake Way, beckoning King Kai and the others to follow. King Kai started walking again.

'That was close… I'm glad the guy's so stupid…' The deity looked down at his feet. '...But I wonder, how long will I be able to keep this up before he finds out…? I know he will learn what happened… But when?'

King Kai looked forward, catching sight of Goku cheerfully waving at him.

He really hoped it wouldn't be any time soon, for Goku's sake.

* * *

Woah, this was really long. Normally I would've divided this into two separate chapters, but it's been a while, so I decided to give you guys a longer one.

Oh yeah, speaking of taking a while…

Let's just say I really hate car accidents.


	5. Chapter 5 - Entangled

Writing stories and getting compliments and constructive criticism fills me with DETERMINATION. I don't own DBZ.

Thanks, Frisk.

* * *

Two weeks.

It had been exactly two weeks since he'd last seen the others. Including Piccolo.

No one had suggested telling Goku about the situation. Why, Gohan didn't know. Maybe Piccolo asked them not to. Or King Kai.

Or maybe they just didn't want to be the ones to break it to him. It was definitely a possibility. And Gohan couldn't blame them; he didn't want to break it to his dad any more than they did, if not even less.

The boy let out a soft sigh, crossing his arms over the desk and settling his head in them. His chest hadn't hurt since the day he collapsed, but he found that it was getting easier to become tired as the hours passed. Soon, he would end up bedridden. But he was determined to hide his ever releasing energy from the others. He started weaving a web of lies, and now he had to stick with it.

Gohan stared at his empty desk. Ever since he'd told Chi Chi and the Ox King about his "heart virus," his mother had held off on his studies. By the looks of things, it seemed she'd never be putting him to work again.

Not that Gohan was complaining. He loved learning, yes. But now with everything that was going on, it had become strenuous to keep up with things.

The half saiyan had since decided he'd go out on "walks" every once in a while, "walks" meaning flights around the area. It was relaxing, since everything in Gohan's mind seemed to disappear when he was in midair.

Gohan stood, deciding he'd go out for another flight. The boy walked out of his room and told his mother where he was going. Chi Chi agreed. Gohan noticed her eyes were less bright than usual, and her movements were slower. Normally, she'd have all the dishes cleaned and put away in an hour. Now two hours had passed and she was barely halfway done.

A pang of guilt hit the boy before he briskly shook his head and took off, letting the wind wipe his mind clean.

The boy closed his eyes, the cool breeze biting at his face. Gohan allowed a small smile to form at his lips. It was a nice day out.

The boy landed in the middle of a forest. A small squirrel skittering across the ground stopped to look at him before continuing on its way. Gohan smiled.

"Looks like it's busy. Makes sense, fall's coming by in a few months." He muttered to himself.

The boy took a walk around, taking in the scenery.

"This place looks kinda familiar. Huh. Wonder why." He said. "Wait a second…"

The boy spotted a tree with some markings engraved on it. He walked over, running his fingers over the grooves. Burn marks tinged the edges.

"These were carved in with energy…" Gohan looked at the carvings and flinched.

"Wait… This reads 'Goku and Gohan...' Hold on, I remember this place!"

Goku had taken him there when he was just about four. The full blooded saiyan had wanted to show him different places and snuck him out of the house while Chi Chi was making lunch. They'd found this tree, along with two squirrels that lived in it. More specifically, an adult male and a baby.

Gohan's eyes widened as he saw the squirrel from earlier peek his head out of a hole in the tree, staring at him.

"So then you were that baby squirrel from back then." He murmured. "At least, you might be…"

Gohan slowly held his arm out to the squirrel. The animal stared at it before hopping onto his outstretched arm and making its way to the half saiyan's shoulder. Gohan smiled.

"Hiya. It's been a while, huh?" he said softly.

Gohan heard some movement behind him and turned, catching sight of a dinosaur. It looked somewhat like Icarus, but with sharp fangs. It was mad.

"Huh. Well, uh, hi to you too." He said. "Uh… You can join us if you want…"

Apparently, it didn't make an intimidating front.

The creature charged at them and Gohan hopped up to a tree branch, shielding the squirrel perched on his shoulder with a hand.

"Geez. Cranky guy, huh?" he muttered. "Guess I'll have to chase him away."

He set the squirrel on the branch, beckoning it inside the hole. Gohan jumped down from the branch and eyed the "predator."

"That was kinda rude, don't you think?" he asked, crossing his arms. The creature came at him again. Gohan hopped over it and stared at it. It began chasing after him. The half saiyan made his way through the trees, jumping from branch to branch.

'Man, this guy's persistent…' he internally mused.

Gohan stopped at a tree and turned around, spotting his pursuer. He clenched his fists.

"Oh well. Sorry about this, but I can't have you chasing me all day." He muttered.

The boy took a stance, taking in a breath of air. He pulled back his fist, deciding to go for the weakest punch he had. Didn't want to hurt the poor guy, after all.

The boy's eyes narrowed as the creature approached/

"Alright, here he co-"

Gohan stiffened and his eyes widened as a sharp pain overtook him. He gasped for air, doubling over and clutching at his chest.

"What's…" he ground out, breathing heavily. "…going on…?"

The boy looked up just in time to meet a set of claws slash at his face. The boy gave out a cry of pain, crashing to the floor. Gohan grit his teeth in pain, looking up. He saw the creature flying above him, getting ready to swoop in and attack. The half saiyan touched a particularly painful spot on his cheek and flinched at the burning sensation that followed. He brought his hand back to find bloodied fingertips.

"Darn, must've cut pretty deep." The boy stood, putting a hand on his cheek. He narrowed his eyes at his attacker. "I don't wanna hurt it, but…"

Gohan exhaled and clenched his fists, fazing above the creature. He elbowed it in the back as softly as he could, wincing as it crashed to the ground. The boy whispered an apology, floating down to the unconscious dinosaur. He sighed, wiping his forehead.

The boy flinched as he noticed just how much he'd been sweating. His breathing was growing heavy as well.

"Woah… Why did that take so much out of me…?" he muttered.

The boy gasped as the pain from earlier returned. The boy feel to his knees, fisting a hand in his gi top.

"Not again…" he rasped, panting. "What's happening to me…?"

Gohan's eyes closed as he fell completely to the floor, slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Gohan. Gohan, wake up."

The boy's eyes squeezed tightly before slowly opening. Gohan's vision was blurry, but he could make out something green in front of him.

"Gohan?"

He recognized the deep voice and smiled despite himself.

"Piccolo…"

The boy sat up, said Namekian standing at his side. Gohan eyed him and smiled a bit wider, his vision clearing.

"What're you doing here?" he asked.

"I should be asking you that, kid." Piccolo replied. "Why aren't you resting?"

Gohan frowned. "I'm not that helpless, Piccolo…"

Piccolo smirked. "Sure, Gohan. Is that why you nearly got creamed by that dinosaur?"

The half saiyan flushed in embarrassment. "I-I didn't get creamed! I just… Wanted to go easy on it! I didn't want to hurt it!" he retorted, crossing his arms and looking away. Piccolo chuckled at his antics.

"Right." He mused. "As for your question, I decided to take a flight today. It helps clear my head."

Gohan crossed his legs, putting his hands on his knees. "Same." He said. "I didn't have anything better to do. Mom's been holding off on the studying since… I told her…"

"About your powers?"

Gohan's smile faded and he turned his gaze to his lap. "…No, actually." He muttered. "I… It was just too much, Piccolo. I… I-I just couldn't…"

"You couldn't tell her the truth?" his mentor offered. Gohan nodded.

Piccolo put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "That's why you didn't want me to tell anyone, right?" he asked.

Gohan eyed him. "Well, it's not what I was planning on doing… But I guess I unconsciously made sure in case I did." The half saiyan swallowed. "Piccolo… Was I wrong in doing that? In lying her…to everyone?"

The Namekian shook his head. "Gohan… the position you're in makes it hard to cope with everything, including guilt. It's only natural that you wouldn't want to see them in pain. You are Goku's son after all." Piccolo smirked. "You didn't want to hurt them, right?"

Gohan briskly shook his head. Piccolo squeezed his shoulder.

"You did what you thought was best for them. That's all that matters, kid."

Gohan smiled, but then flinched when Piccolo continued.

"…although, Gohan, you shouldn't get yourself entangled in a web of lies. Or else it will come back to haunt you."

"Piccolo…?"

Piccolo's eyes narrowed. "Gohan, you did what you thought was best. But I can't say that it was the right thing to do."

Gohan looked at the namekian in distress.

"…What do I do, Piccolo?" came the soft reply.

Piccolo kept his gaze on him before smiling.

"There's nothing that you have to do. Not now, anyway." He said. "You can choose to tell them all the truth, if you want to. But you don't need to do anything right away."

He squeezed Gohan's shoulder once more.

"Just know that whatever choice you make, I'll always be there to support you, kid."

Gohan stared, slightly shocked at his mentor's sudden tenderness, before smiling softly.

"Thanks a lot, Piccolo." He said.

The boy's friend helped him up. Piccolo eyed him.

"Do you need to go home right now?" he asked.  
"I don't know… how long was I out?"  
"Around two minutes."

Gohan smiled. "No, I have some time to spare." He replied.

Piccolo smirked and floated up a few feet. "Good, then come flying with me."

The boy smiled widely. Piccolo's voice was firm, but Gohan could tell he really just missed him. Even if it had only been two weeks.

Gohan floated up to his mentor's level.

"Okay."

* * *

Goku kicked and punched furiously in the air, a grin split across his face. He'd only just recently heard about the other world tournament, and he was more than excited about it. King Kai had managed to keep the truth from the saiyan, abeit with some difficulty. The man had asked if he could talk to his friends once, but King Kai had stated that it was night and that everyone was probably asleep. It wasn't really a lie, either. The deity had become nervous after Goku's request, though. So he decided to tell him about an upcoming tournament. Sure enough, it was all he needed to keep the saiyan occupied for a substantial amount of time. Yes, seven years was a bit of a stretch. But knowing Goku, it would be plenty.

King Kai continued to watch the man train when he heard a voice call his name. He flinched and looked up.

" _King Kai?"_

"That sounds like Piccolo…" the deity muttered.

King Kai turned to see if Goku was watching him before quickly walked over to a secluded area.

"Piccolo, how have you been?" he asked quietly.

" _Fine, fine. But forget about me, something happened earlier today and it's been bothering me for a while."_

"What is it?"

" _Gohan collapsed again. He was attacked by some creature, something he should've been able to handle effortlessly. But when he went to subdue it, he broke down. He was exhausted despite having done nothing strenuous beforehand."_

"What was he doing?"

" _He was just taking a walk. I doubt for very long, either."_

"That's odd…"

" _Eventually he was able to knock out the creature, but as soon as he did he broke down again, sweating as if he'd been training for hours. He looked more tired than I've ever seen him, even after the Cell Games. He looked to be in an extreme amount of pain as well. Not only that, but I could feel his power fluctuating. He was trying very hard to suppress it. "_

"…I suppose this confirms it. His powers are getting out of control."

" _Is there anything I can do? I have to help him, somehow."_

"Piccolo, I don't think there is… You heard Porunga, Gohan is going to die. There's no getting around it."

" _I can't just let him die like this."_

"I know, Piccolo. But there's nothing we can do except comfort him… I will say this, though. If you want to help him, stay with him whenever you can. It'll make him feel better about the situation, if anything."

" _I will. I definitely will. Thank you, King Kai."_

"No problem. And tell the kid I said hi, okay?"

" _I will."_

"Bye." King Kai let out a heavy sigh. This was getting out of hand. It had only been two weeks, and yet Gohan was already starting to lose himself. Porunga had said it would happen in six months, but from the way things were… it seemed he wouldn't even last another two.

King Kai's stomach churned. Goku wasn't ready to find out, not yet. And Gohan wasn't ready to tell him, if he ever would.

The deity walked back to find Goku was still training hard, blissfully unaware of the reality in front of him. King Kai let out a sigh of relief. He wouldn't be finding out any time soon.

He could breathe easy another day.

* * *

Piccolo cut the mind link with King Kai and let out a quiet sigh. Gohan had been talking to him about what had been going on the past two weeks, but the Namekian was just too unsettled to listen. He'd murmur some short answers every now and then during his conversation with King Kai, but he never actually _talked_ to them. It pained him to do so, but actually listening to the strained sound of his student's voice would hurt even more.

Piccolo stole a quick glance at Gohan, who didn't seem to notice. The Namekian turned his gaze forward and let the boy go on, struggling to keep his thoughts away from the future that will befall the half saiyan.

"Piccolo?"

Said fighter flinched and looked at him. Gohan was eyeing him confusedly.

"You didn't answer me. I asked what you've been up to these past two weeks." He said.

"Oh." Piccolo replied, a bit frazzled. "Uh, nothing much. Just meditating, training from time to time."

Gohan replied with a small hum before looking forward. He noticed it, how Piccolo was being brief with him. It was as if he was thinking about something, or maybe talking through someone with a mind link. Perhaps he was.

The boy shook his head and looked down a bit. He wouldn't pry. He knew that Piccolo wouldn't betray his wishes and tell everyone. If anyone, he was probably talking to King Kai. Hopefully, his father hadn't found out yet.

Gohan's gaze turned sullen. He wasn't ready to tell anyone, let alone Goku. It was hard enough, having to lie to them. But eventually he would have to tell them the truth. It was like Piccolo said, it'd come back to haunt him if I didn't.

Gohan's eyes narrowed as his fists clenched tightly. One day, he would. He'd tell them the truth. And until then, he'd so the only thing he could.

Endure.

* * *

Just finished reading the Overgrowth AU based on Flowerfell. I have to say, it's probably been one of the most tragic and well developed stories I've ever read. Kudos to Sociopathic Archangel for writing it, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

One more thing before I let you all go…

Keep an eye out for some art dealing with this chapter…

(Check my profile for details)

Byeee~!


	6. Chapter 6 - Picnic Troubles

Sorry about the late update… Finals have been a pain in the butt. Luckily I'll have a lot more time to write now that it's summer… I think.

Actually… I take that back, maybe not.

Anyway, I understand that there's some confusion as to why Gohan is so tired. The reason he's so tired is because he's trying so hard to suppress his ever releasing energy. That was a mistake on my part, I should've made it clearer before. Sorry 'bout that!

On to the story!

WARNING: A little cursing in this one.

* * *

6 weeks after Gohan's encounter with the dinosaur. Or in other words,

Two months since he'd first learned he was going to die.

Piccolo had been keeping tabs on the boy since his breakdown. Gohan's condition was slowly starting to deteriorate. The signs were practically invisible to almost anyone else, but to Piccolo, they were practically neon billboards along a dark street. The half saiyan had been getting exhausted faster, and started going to sleep earlier and earlier, even if it was only by a few minutes. Not to mention the poor kid looked like a wreck; he always looked very pale with bags under his eyes. The Namekian knew he wasn't sleeping at night.

Gohan had started eating less. It wasn't that noticeable, but both his mother and Piccolo could tell. He looked skinnier than usual, Piccolo could tell. Was he too tired to eat? Or was he simply using so much effort to suppress his releasing energy that he couldn't even stand to eat? Either way, it worried Piccolo to no end.

However, despite everything else, Piccolo supposed the most painful thing he saw in his friend was the boy's eyes.

They looked so… _empty_.

The Namekian could feel it; Gohan had finally truly understood what he was in for. And the truth had _broken him_. He didn't want to die. Gohan didn't want to die.

 _But he is._

Piccolo couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like when it happened. The scream he imagined was horrifying, and he really didn't want to hear it in real life.

He didn't want to see Gohan die. Even if he knew that he should be there for him until the end. The Namekian knew it was selfish, but actually witnessing something like that would most likely drive him insane.

With all the symptoms Gohan was showing, it was no surprise Piccolo had started checking in on him every day.

And that's how he learned about the picnic.

Bulma had apparently planned on having a picnic that very afternoon. Piccolo found it funny that it was always the blue haired billionaire that threw the festivities. He overheard Gohan talking to her about it. He said he'd make it, but the apathy in his voice made that hard to believe. However, Piccolo still wanted to see if he would.

So there he was, perched on the roof of the Capsule Corp. building, waiting to see if the kid would actually show up. Most of the other Z fighters were there when the Namekian had arrived. They all seemed happy and cheerful.

Piccolo didn't know why that irked him.

Fifteen minutes had passed and the green man was starting to think that Gohan wasn't going to show up. However, as soon as he got up to leave, he spotted the boy slowly making his way over to the building. He was dressed nicely, though Piccolo didn't know if he was forced into that outfit or if he wore it to be polite. However, despite his attire, Gohan looked worse than ever.

Piccolo had to restrain himself from rushing over and sending him back home.

* * *

Gohan sighed, slowly flying over to Capsule Corp. He knew he was late, and it really bothered him. After all, he hated being rude. The hybrid couldn't really help it; the strain of suppressing his powers and the pain coursing through his ever deteriorating body made it difficult. Chi Chi definitely noticed. Gohan was surprised when his mother let him go to the picnic. Sure, she demanded he not stay for longer than a couple hours. But the half breed had expected her to be a little stricter than that. His news, despite being a complete lie, had broken her more than he thought…

The boy was feeling somewhat annoyed as well. He'd meant to be there on time, he'd even left fifteen minutes ahead of time. But with the strength it took to suppress his powers combined with the pain, Gohan ended up floating the entire way there rather than flying. Now he was really tired. The half saiyan figured he probably looked like a mess as well, so he made his way behind the building to try and fix himself up in secret.

Or at least, he tried to.

"I was going to say you look pretty good, kid, but that zombie face made me reconsider."

Gohan jumped slightly and looked up to see Piccolo smirking down at him. He chuckled sheepishly.

"Yeah, uh… I-I, um, wanted to try a new look… The, "out of bed" look, haha…" the boy said, looking at the ground sheepishly.

"Out of bed look, huh?" Piccolo floated down from the rooftop, peering down at the boy. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"

"I know…"

"So? What actually happened to make you look like this?"

"Well… I was taking a nap when I heard my mom calling me. She asked me to answer the phone and I did. It was Bulma. She asked me to come to the picnic, and well, I didn't want to be rude, so…"

"Still doesn't explain the bags under your eyes."

"Yeah… When I was talking to Bulma I was feeling really out of it. I hadn't gotten any sleep last night so I was really tired… And I was feeling sick, so I skipped breakfast."

Piccolo brushed off those facts with some effort, keeping the forced smirk on his face.

"I left before taking a look in the mirror because I wanted to get here as early as possible. I left fifteen minutes earlier than I needed to. Or, should have needed to. But… my body started to ache like crazy and I realized that it would hurt even more if I flew. So… I kinda floated here."

It was at this that Piccolo's gaze became stern. "And you couldn't have just gone back home?" his voice had a slightly hard edge to it. His smile had faded.

Gohan looked down. "I don't wanna be rude, Piccolo…"

"I'm sure they'll understand."

"Maybe, but if I did that, they'd worry about me over nothing!"

"Nothing? No, kid. It's definitely _something_."

"Still…"

Piccolo eyed the boy for a few seconds before letting out a deep sigh.

"…I don't like it. But I won't force you to go home… on one condition." He said.

"What would that be?" Gohan inquired.

"If I see you're having trouble, even if for just a moment, then you're going home. No questions asked."

Gohan smiled, flashing him a thumbs up. "Deal."

Piccolo smirked a little. Gohan scrubbed at his eyes, clapping his hands over his cheeks. His turned to the backyard, where everyone was laughing and dancing. Gohan sweat a bit. Roshi looked a little less than sober.

The boy slowly walked over to the picnic, silently wishing he'd looked in the mirror before he left.

"U-Uh… hi, guys…?" he whispered. No one heard him over all the noise, and the half saiyan facepalmed. 'Course they're not gonna hear you, idiot.' He thought, annoyed.

The boy shuffled over to Krillin, who was watching the others mess around with a deadpanned expression.

"U-Um… hi?"

The bald headed man jumped and spun around to find Gohan staring at him sheepishly. A grin broke out on his face as he threw an arm around the boy's shoulders.

"Hey! Gohan, what's up buddy?" he said.

The boy chuckled, embarrassed. "N-Not much…" he said.

Bulma caught sight of the boy and ran over. "Gohan! Where have you been, everyone got here fifteen minutes ago!" she cried.

Gohan smiled apologetically. "Sorry… I, uh… overslept." He said.

Bulma eyed him weirdly before smiling. "Ah, don't worry about it. C'mon kid! Go have fun!"

The half saiyan forced a grin before turning to Krillin, the two engaging in conversation.

* * *

An hour had passed since Gohan had arrived, and Piccolo had been watching him the entire time. The boy seemed fine; he didn't seem fatigued or sick at all. However, Piccolo began to have doubts. If the boy couldn't even fly, how was it that he seemed perfectly fine now? If the kid was masking it, well…

He was a damn good actor.

Gohan laughed when Roshi and Oolong, who were anything but sober at this point, suddenly broke out in a duet in the middle of the lawn. The boy had to admit, he was glad Bulma banned them from having any more drinks. Even though Roshi and Oolong were more than capable of handling themselves despite not being in their right minds.

Fifteen more minutes passed, and Gohan didn't seem to be showing any signs of discomfort whatsoever.

Then… something odd happened.

Yamcha had asked Gohan if he'd been keeping up with his training. Now, Piccolo had a feeling that the mere thought of training would disturb the boy. Gohan's face when Yamcha had said it out loud confirmed that. The kid looked like he'd seen a ghost. And the funny yet bitter part about it was that no one, _no one_ had noticed it, no matter how obvious it was.

The boy blinked himself back into his current situation and gave a humorless laugh. "No… I've been a bit… lax lately." He said awkwardly.

"Oh," said Yamcha, somewhat surprised. "Well, you did save the planet. You totally deserve a break, kid!"

Gohan forced a smile before letting out a small sigh. "I'm, uh… Gonna go to the bathroom. Be right back…" he said, walking off before anyone could say anything. Piccolo used this as his opportunity to approach the half saiyan.

"You okay, kid?" he asked.

"Heh… no."

"Do you want to go home? I can take you there."

"N-No, no… I'm fine, really…"

Piccolo's eyes narrowed. Now he could see the boy's mask falling off. The kid was starting to show signs of exhaustion. Piccolo had a hunch as to why he became so exhausted this quickly. The namekian could also tell the hybrid was having trouble seeing, as his eyes were narrowing like he was struggling to make out his surroundings. The boy was swaying, too. He was getting dizzy.

Piccolo decided to take a gamble.

"Are you really fine?" he asked.

"Y-Yeah… d-don… wry… bout me…" the boy's words were starting to slur as well.

"You look really tired."

"nah…. 's… nothin…"

"Is that because you're trying extra hard to suppress your powers?"

Bullseye.

Gohan flinched, suddenly very alert. He looked at his friend with wide eyes, Piccolo's knowing ones staring right into his soul. The boy turned his shocked gaze to the ground, unable to keep his eyes locked with Piccolo's.

"…you caught me."

"We're going home. Now."

"N-No, Piccolo… I'm fine… Really."

"Bullshit." Piccolo didn't like to curse, especially around Gohan, but he felt it was appropriate in the given situation. "Home. Now."

Gohan defiantly took a few steps in the opposite direction. "I said 'm fine…" the boy slurred, stumbling. Piccolo walked toward him.

"Gohan." His voice was like steel.

"Please… don't… worry… about… m…"

Piccolo flinched as the boy collapsed to the floor, panting like a dog. The Namekian quickly gathered the boy in his arms and raced towards his house, not wasting any time looking him over. It was bad, that was excuse enough.

Piccolo could tell the boy was doing everything he could to keep from screaming in pain. However, Gohan's efforts were in vain as he let out a strangled noise that sounded like a mix between a shout of pain and a sob.

It hurt so much to hear that noise.

Piccolo landed in front of the house, not hesitating to open the door (and breaking it in the process) and get the boy in bed. Chi Chi, who was sound asleep, woke with a start and rushed to her son's bedroom on instinct, finding him writhing around in bed, whimpering. Piccolo was at his side, looking more worried than he ever had in his entire life.

"Gohan!" Chi Chi cried, rushing to her son's side.

"He collapsed at the picnic. I brought him here as fast as I could." Piccolo said, concern lacing his voice.

Chi Chi simply replied with a nod before rushing to get a wet cloth. Piccolo looked back at the boy, who let out another whimper of pain, and grasped the boy's trembling hand.

"I'm right here, kid."

* * *

Woo! I'm beat! I'm going to be honest, I had to edit this chapter a lot and I was feeling less and less motivated to do it, hence why this chapter was out so late. Anyway, I went ahead and had the next 2 chapters edited because I won't be able to update next Sunday. Who knows, I might have the next chapter up by Tuesday…

We'll see.

Sayonara~!


	7. Chapter 7 - Faults of the Father

[Insert suspenseful one liner here]

* * *

Goku grinned. He'd just met another fighter from the Western quadrant, named Pikkon. Apparently West Kai and King Kai weren't on very good terms. Goku had to admit, Pikkon was really strong, nearly as strong as Gohan as a regular super saiyan. In fact, King Kai said Pikkon and him were on the same level. Goku didn't deny that, either.

"Wow. That's pretty cool. I wonder what Gohan would think of him." Goku flinched. "Speaking of which, can I talk to him?"

Oh, shoot.

King Kai gulped. That was _not_ good. This was the fifth time the saiyan had asked to talk to anyone on Earth, this being the third time he's specifically asked for Gohan. The deity was starting to get scared; it was only a matter of time before Goku got suspicious.

Darn, he couldn't keep this up much longer.

"U-Uh… Sorry, Goku… But… it's night time over there. Gohan's probably asleep."

He was probably far from it.

Goku eyed King Kai for a while before narrowing his eyes.

"King Kai," his voice had taken on a completely different tone. "…are you lying to me?"

Crud.

The deity laughed nervously, breaking out into a sweat. "W-What? Of course not, what do you take me for?" he said.

Goku stared at him suspiciously. "King Kai," he started. "Are you sure?"

King Kai gained as much composure as he could, putting on a serious face. "I'm sure, Goku."

His eyes were hidden behind his glasses, but Goku could tell his gaze was about as intense as his. He sighed, deciding to drop it.

"Okay! Well, I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat!" he said cheerfully, running off. King Kai waited until he was sure the man was gone before letting out a shaky breath.

"…this isn't good. I have to talk to Gohan…"

Meanwhile, Goku stopped in his tracks. He turned his gaze to the diection King Kai was in.

"He's lying to me," he muttered. "But why? What's going on?"

* * *

It had been 2 weeks since the picnic. Gohan had explained to Bulma a few days after he collapsed that he was feeling really tired and that he decided he sould go home. The blue haired woman bought it. It was really a lie, either. Chi Chi was tempted to tell the woman what had really happened, but she decided against it. Gohan just didn't want the others to worry.

The half breed had found that he was getting more and more exhausted by the day. Eventually it got to the point where he wouldn't even get out of bed for fear of fainting from exhaustion. It was getting very hard to contain his energy. At one point, while Gohan was talking to his mother, his control over his powers slipped a bit and he barely went super saiyan. His hair flashed gold a couple times before he collapsed.

That got Gohan thinking. He had collapsed back at the picnic, which means his powers were free to release themselves. So why didn't anyone say anything?

The boy approached Piccolo about it, who explained that everyone probably figured the energy fluctuations were because of the "heart virus." The Namekian went on to explain that the same thing had happened when Goku was sick, and that his energy fluctuated then as well. Gohan was relieved to hear it, one less thing to explain.

The half saiyan started to feel conflicted. He was starting to think that maybe, all of this was because of his father. This all happened because of Goku's decision to have Gohan fight Cell. Gohan couldn't figure out exactly what he was feeling. Perhaps… resentment?

It seemed to be the case. But he couldn't tell anyone. They'd surely get angry at him for thinking that way.

Gohan sighed and shifted to lay on his side, tucking his arm under his head. He stared at the wall. Plain cream color. Plain. Probably his default expression as of late.

 _"_ _Gohan."_

The boy flinched. "King Kai?"

 _"_ _Listen, we have a problem."_

Gohan sat up. "What is it?" he asked.

 _"_ _I think Goku's on to us."_

The boy's face darkened. "How?"

 _"_ _He's asked about five times to talk to you… And, well, I kept making excuses… it worked for a while, but now…"_

Gohan stayed quiet for a bit. His father was on to them… There was only a matter of time before he learned the truth… So, wouldn't it be better to just tell him? Or maybe feed him the lie he told everyone else. Or… should he lay off and wait?

The boy shook his head. No, it was better to just get to the point. However, he wasn't going to tell his dad the truth. Something was telling him to lie to Goku his father as well.

 _"_ _Gohan? You there?"_

Gohan flinched. "O-Oh, yeah, yeah." He said. "Um… can I… Is, is dad there?"

 _"_ _No, he went off to get something to eat. Crazy guy thinks he needs to eat even when dead."_

"Can you get him…?"

 _"_ _Sure. But, what are you planning on doing?"_

"I'm going to lie to him… I'm going to say that I contracted his heart virus."

 _"_ _Oh… Sure. But, Gohan, are you sure that's a good idea?"_

"…No. But… I can't tell him. I-I just can't. I'm not ready. But I have to be the one to tell him…"

 _"_ _I understand, Gohan, it's okay. I'll get him, give me a couple minutes."_

Gohan sighed, starting to feel sick to his stomach. It probably stemmed from his nervousness. But he would still go through with it, no matter what.

It hurt.

 _"_ _Gohan? Son, are you there?"_

Gohan smiled weakly. "Hi dad." When did his voice get so hoarse?

 _"_ _King Kai said you wanted to talk to me. What's up? How is everyone?"_

The boy's smile faded quickly. "…there's something I need to tell you… It's important that you listen closely, okay?"

 _"_ _What's that?"_ his father's tone had become concerned.

"…Two months ago, I collapsed while having a light spar with Piccolo."

 _"_ _What? Why?"_

"I'm getting to that. We couldn't figure out what happened, so we asked the eternal dragon of Namek. And he said-"

 _"_ _Really? How did you do that? Did you ask Bulma for-"_

" **Dad**."

Goku stopped at the tone of his son's voice. Gohan mentally sighed, the longer this went on, the more he would doubt himself and possibly screw everything up.

"He said… I contracted your heart virus."

 _"_ _What?!"_

"I don't know how or why I got it, I just did." Gohan went on, fisting a hand in his shirt. "…There's nothing that can be done, according to the dragon."

 _"_ _Why not?"_

"He said that there are… certain variables needed to produce the medication that Trunks brought for you, and that those variables didn't exist in this timeline, only a few others. One of those being Trunks's timeline." Gohan was surprised at how valid his story was, considering it was all off the top of his head.

 _"_ _Can't we just ask Trunks to get more?"_

"That's impossible because it's beyond the dragon's power to reach other timelines."

 _"_ _So… you're just going to die…?"_

"… yeah."

Goku didn't say anything for a minute. Gohan decided to let the "truth" sink in for a little bit. It must've been heartbreaking to hear something like that.

 _"_ _I'm sorry."_

"For what?"

 _"_ _I… I should have come back… I should be there to-"_

Goku suddenly cut off. Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"Dad?"

 _"_ _I'm coming there."_

"…what?"

 _"_ _I'm coming there. I'm coming back."_

Gohan stiffened. No, that wasn't good… If he came, he could find out what's really going on. That couldn't happen. He couldn't… he couldn't hurt him. He couldn't.

"Dad… I don't think you should come just yet." He replied.

 _"_ _Why not?"_

What should he say? "Because… I think it's too sudden. I mean, the others were hit pretty hard when they learned about… my condition. I think it'll just cause chaos if you come back all of a sudden."

Fair enough, right?

 _"_ _But… I should be there to help you."_

"And you can. I have four more months. One Namekian year has already passed so you can wish on the dragon now but… wait a little longer, okay? Just until things simmer down a little."

 _"…_ _okay. If you say so."_

Gohan's sigh of relief was almost audible.

"I'll tell you when it's cool, dad. Promise." He said.

 _"_ _Alright, Take care of yourself, okay?"_

"… I will. Bye dad."

 _"_ _Bye, son. Tell your mother I said hi, okay?"_

"…y…. yeah." Not sure how he was gonna get around that one.

Gohan flopped down on his bed. King Kai told him that Goku had left a few minutes later. The half breed gave a soft "thanks" before draping an arm over his eyes. This was getting way too complicated. Would he be able to keep this up? It hadn't even been three months since he'd talked to Porunga and he was already starting to slip up.

The boy turned over. He just needed some sleep….

* * *

Another week had passed. The half saiyan had been in bed the entire time, trying to regain his strength. Eventually, Gohan had mustered up the strength to go out for a short walk. He asked Chi Chi if he could, and the woman actually said no, much to his surprise. His episode three weeks ago must have really scared her. Gohan told her that he'd ask someone to accompany him. However, she was still unsure. So Gohan had asked Piccolo that night. Even the Namekian was hesitant to let him go, but with some words and pleading looks, the fighter conceded. Piccolo approached Chi Chi the next day, saying he'd keep a close on the boy and promised to take care of him. And so the woman, feeling a bit more reassured, allowed Gohan to go.

So now Gohan was walking alongside his best friend, talking about random things as if nothing was wrong. Piccolo made sure the boy kept a slow pace, not wanting anything to happen.

Gohan sighed a little. There was something that was really bugging him. He was feeling more and more doubtful about who was at fault for his situation. He had a nagging feeling that it was because of Goku. That this was _all_ because Goku sent him out to fight Cell, forcing him to transform in the process. He couldn't tell anyone, though. They'd hate him.

But… it was Goku's fault, wasn't it?

Something started to burn inside the boy. He was right, it was because of Goku. He sent Gohan out to fight, he forced him to transform, and he was the one that brought all of the guilt Gohan had for letting him die.

Was he… starting to hate him? Was this what hate felt like?

Gohan didn't even notice his power level rising as all his feelings started to boil inside him. It was Goku's fault… It was Goku's fault he was like this… This was because of Goku… This was _all_ because he was so stupid…!

"…id!"

Goku made him like this…!

"…ohan!"

This was Goku's fault!

"Gohan!"

The boy was brought out of his thoughts as a pain like no other bloomed in his chest. Gohan choked, his eyes widening, and fell to his knees before letting out a shrill cry of pain. Piccolo was at his side in an instant, watching as the boy's hair flashed gold a few times as the boy continued to let out strangled moans and cries. The Namekian acted quickly, racing towards the boy's house like he had three weeks ago. The Namekian didn't even bother walking through the door, instead kicking open Gohan's window and climbing inside, placing the boy on his bed and running to get Chi Chi. Gohan clutched at his shirt, mentally scolding himself for losing his control.

'Breathe!' he thought. 'Control it! You've gotta suppress it before it gets any worse!'

The boy, with some effort, was able to suppress some of his releasing energy. He took in gulps of air, suddenly very, very tired. He stopped screaming, instead letting out quiet moans.

Chi Chi and Piccolo swept into the room, worried looks on their faces. Gohan smiled weakly at them.

"D-Don't worry… I'm fine. Just, uh… got a little worked up is all." He said in what came out as a hoarse whisper.

"Gohan…" Chi Chi said worriedly.

"I'm fine, mom… Though… Can you get me a glass of water…?" Gohan asked.

Chi Chi nodded and quickly walked out of the room. Piccolo eyed the boy intensely and Gohan looked away, forcing himself to sleep.

He couldn't deal with this. Not now.

* * *

Ta da~! Things are lookin' grim for Gohan, huh? And it's only gonna get worse, mwah hah hah!

…why do I torture my favorite character like this?

I dunno.

Anywayz this next chapter is one of the first scenes I wrote for this series. I'm pretty excited for it, so here's a sneak peek! Check it outie!

 _'_ _You did this…'_

 _'_ _He's dead.'_

 _'_ _You can't run…'_

 _'_ _Murderer.'_

 _The mirror shattered._

 _Gohan screamed._

Yeah… It'll make more sense later. Anyway, look forward to the next chapter. It'll be up soon!

By the way, I want to thank everyone that's reviewed and followed this story so far. It really means a lot to me. Yes, I know you've probably heard that spiel a hundred times before, but it's still very true. Thank you guys so much.

One of your guys (Cruzerblade) asked me how far I'm planning on taking this.

Oh ho ho… You have _noooo_ idea…

You'll find out once _Obliviousness_ is done. Which may or may not be soon, as I've added a lot to the original plan. I will give you a warning, though.

I have something written out for the second part of _Elusion of the Despondent_ that _none_ of you will have ever seen coming.

Saraba da!


	8. Chapter 8 - Enslaved by Blood

Ah geez really sorry this took so long. Life hit meh.

But this chapter is substantial. I think. Enjoy!

I don't own Dragon Ball Z. Sadly.

* * *

Gohan looked at his hands. "From what's happened, I've concluded that my energy only releases in vast amounts when I'm feeling something particularly strong about something. Anger seems to have the biggest effect on me." He said.

Piccolo nodded from the other side of the room. "Makes sense. But what about when you're asleep? You aren't suppressing your energy when you're unconscious, but it doesn't release itself then. At least, not that much."

"I don't know…"

"Perhaps," Piccolo started. "It's because you haven't had any big dreams or things like that. You haven't imagined anything in your sleep that would invoke strong emotions."

"That makes sense…"

It had officially been three months since Gohan and Piccolo talked to Porunga. Which meant Gohan was halfway through the time he had left on Earth. Gohan hadn't talked to Goku since their conversation two weeks ago, and he wasn't planning on talking about it anytime soon. Gohan didn't mention it to anyone but Piccolo, who told him that eventually Goku would come back, no matter what Gohan did. It frustrated and disheartened the boy, but eventually he shook it off and decided not to dwell on it,

Every day that week Gohan had lost control of his energy for moments at a time. He was even starting to go Super Saiyan at times before passing out, leaving both Chi Chi and Piccolo very concerned. Piccolo had advised Chi Chi not to tell anyone, as it was Gohan had wanted. Chi Chi complied, abeit with some confusion as to why Gohan didn't want her to tell their friends.

Gohan had managed to gain enough control over his powers that he was confident enough to consult Piccolo about the matter. They talked, formulating theories as to why Gohan was suffering from his episodes. It was helpful, Gohan couldn't deny that.

The boy yawned. "Well, I'm feeling kinda sleepy. Do you mind if I take a quick nap, Piccolo?" he asked.

Piccolo nodded. "Not at all, kid." He causally hopped out through the window, eliciting a chuckle from Gohan. Piccolo sent the boy a comforting smile before walking off into the woods. Gohan laid back and curled up a little, drifting off into a deep sleep…

* * *

 _Gohan stood in a black void. He was dressed in the outfit Piccolo had given him before the Cell Games, sans the shoulder pads and cape._

 _He looked around._

 _"_ _Where am I?" he asked._

 _'_ _Gohan…'_

 _An unknown voice rang in the boy's ears._

 _"_ _Who's there?" the boy asked, looking around._

 _'_ _You've come again…'_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _'_ _You've come again… to visit your victims.'_

 _"_ _Victims?"_

 _Gohan looked around. What on Earth had the voice meant by victims? He was alone!_

 _The boy turned around. He flinched._

 _"_ _What in the world?!"_

 _A corpse lay there, badly beaten and bleeding._

 _"_ _W-What…?"_

 _'_ _You did this…'_

 _"_ _N-No! No, I didn't!" Gohan yelled. "Who are you?!"_

 _'_ _You did. You killed him and many others. Like that man over there.'_

 _Gohan looked around to find another corpse. He grit his teeth, about to yell at whoever was talking to him, when he suddenly noticed something._

 _The man was wearing orange and blue._

 _Gohan stomach lurched horribly. "N-No… That couldn't be…!"_

 _The boy ran up to the figure and knelt beside it._

 _"_ _N-No… Th-This is…" he stuttered._

 _'_ _You know this man, don't you? This human?'_

 _"_ _I do know him, but-"Gohan answered, looking up._

 _'_ _And you killed him. You killed Krillin.'_

 _"_ _No! I didn't kill_ _ **anyone**_ _!"_

 _'_ _Wrong. You killed_ _ **everyone**_ _.'_

 _Gohan looked back down and gasped. In front of him lay the corpses of what he believed to be a thousand people. He recognized a select few, including Yamcha, Tien, Trunks, Bulma, and even Vegeta._

 _"_ _W-What is this…?!" he stuttered._

 _'_ _These are your victims. You know some of them, don't you?'_

 _"_ _I'm telling you, I didn't kill anyone!"_

 _'_ _You did. You even killed your mother and your newborn brother.'_

 _Gohan's eyes widened in fear as his stomach turned violently. Hesitantly, he turned to the side. And he saw them. Mother and child, dead. Chi Chi still had trails of tears glistening on her cheeks. And his brother… he looked so much like_ him _._

 _Gohan slowly, shakily, walked up to them. He shook them._

 _"_ _Mom… Guys… Come on, wake up…" he pleaded._

 _'_ _They can't hear you. They're dead. You killed them.'_

 _"_ _No… I couldn't have…" Gohan whispered._

 _'_ _You did. You massacred everyone. Even Piccolo.'_

 _"_ _No, not Piccolo…!"_

 _'_ _Just look.'_

 _Gohan turned around, trembling. His eyes started to water as he saw the corpse that belonged to his best friend._

 _"_ _P-Piccolo…" he stuttered._

 _'_ _You killed him last. You made him watch your every kill.'_

 _Gohan wobbled over to the Namekian's fallen form and fell to his knees. With a trembling hand, he grasped his mentor's shoulder._

 _"_ _Piccolo…? Piccolo, wake up…" he whispered._

 _'_ _He's dead. He can't hear you."_

 _Gohan paid no mind to the voice that rang in his head, instead continuing to shake his best friend's shoulder._

 _"_ _Wake up… Please, wake up, Piccolo…!" he pleaded, tears beginning to leak out of his eyes._

 _'_ _He's dead.'_

 _Gohan stood. "N-No… No, I didn't…!" he said._

 _'_ _You did.'_

 _"_ _I didn't…!"_

 _'_ _You murdered them all.'_

 _Gohan backed up, fearing the image that lay before him, when he tripped over something and fell. Gohan rubbed his head and looked to see what he tripped on. He gasped when he saw the mangled corpse._

 _"_ _W-What…?" he stuttered._

 _'_ _You killed him, too.'_

 _"_ _But he's dead…!"_

 _'_ _He came back.'_

 _"_ _How…?"_

 _'_ _He was brought back.'_

 _"_ _But…"_

 _'_ _You hate him, don't you?'_

 _"_ _I…"_

 _'_ _He caused you all this pain…'_

 _"_ _I-I…"_

 _'_ _You took pleasure in killing him.'_

 _"_ _N... No…'_

 _'_ _You hate him.'_

 _"_ _No… I…"_

 _'_ _He drove you to do this.'_

 _"_ _H-He…"_

 _'_ _He hurt you…'_

 _"_ _N-No he…"_

 _'_ _He left you to die.'_

 _"_ _He couldn't…"_

 _'_ _You hate him.'_

 _"_ _I-I…"_

 _'_ _You hate your father.'_

 _"_ _N-No, I-"_

 _'_ _You hate Goku.'_

 _Gohan couldn't take it anymore. He turned heel and ran._

 _'_ _You can't run…'_

 _The boy shook his head furiously._

 _'_ _You killed them all…'_

 _He ran faster._

 _'_ _You can't escape the blood on your hands.'_

 _He stumbled._

 _'_ _It stains every part of you.'_

 _He stopped._

 _'_ _It blinds you.'_

 _He fell backwards._

 _'_ _It haunts you.'_

 _He curled into himself, trembling._

 _'_ _It enslaves you.'_

 _His eyes leaked with tears._

 _'_ _Look at your hands.'_

 _He didn't want to, but something forced him to. His teary eyes caught sight of his bloody hands._

 _'_ _This is the blood you've spilled.'_

 _"_ _N-No…" he stuttered._

 _'_ _You're a murderer.'_

 _"_ _N-No…!_

 _'_ _Murderer.'_

 _"_ _Stay away from me…!"_

 _"_ _Murderer.'_

 _"_ _Leave me alone, please…!"_

 _'_ _Gohan… You cannot run away… Just look at yourself…'_

 _Gohan didn't know what compelled him to look to the floor, but when he did, he met a mirror image of himself. And the image had blood splattered on his face. Gohan raised his hand to touch his cheeks and met something wet. He pulled it back to meet blood stained fingertips_

 _"_ _N-No… No…!" he stuttered._

 _The floor cracked beneath him. He looked there to meet the same bloody image._

 _"_ _No!" he yelled._

 _The mirror shattered._

 _Gohan screamed._

* * *

Gohan shot up, sweat pouring down his face. His energy startled to release rapidly and Gohan forced it down with an alarming amount of effort. He panted a bit before sighing and placing a hand on his head.

"What was that…?" he muttered.

"Gohan."

Gohan turned to see Piccolo looking at him through the window.

"P-Piccolo." The boy stuttered.

"Are you okay? Your energy just spiked." His mentor asked.

Gohan sighed and looked down at his sheets.

"Yeah… I'm fine… Just a bad dream…" he said.

Piccolo watched as the boy flopped back down on the bed. Gohan stared at the ceiling.

…no, he couldn't keep his feelings to himself anymore.

"Hey, Piccolo?" the boy asked.

"Yes?"

"Am… am I… a bad person…?"

Piccolo was surprised at the question.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked.

"It's just… I've been wondering… I've killed multiple people, but even if they were all evil… does that still make me a murderer?"

Piccolo looked at the boy in shock before replying.

"No, it doesn't. You fought to protect, not for personal gain or even vengeance." Said Piccolo. "Besides, you don't have a passion to fight."

"I know… but… that still doesn't rid myself from the blood on my hands…"

Piccolo watched as the boy sat up, looking at his hands,

"No matter what the reason was, murder is still murder… I'm still guilty of it…" he muttered.

"Gohan…"

"Piccolo?"

"What is it?"

"… I need to tell you something important. And, please, don't tell anyone, okay?"

"You have my word."

Gohan looked around uncomfortably, He sensed for his mother's energy signal and he found that she was still sleeping. He exhaled in relief before walking up to the open window, leaning on it.

"I… I think I hate him. I think I hate my father." He said softly,

No response came. Gohan hesitantly turned his gaze towards his mentor. He expected a shocked or angry look, but all he found was a blank expression, He looked away, waiting for the angry or stunned outburst.

"I understand," was the reply he got.

He looked to Piccolo in confusion.

"You… you understand…?" he asked.

Piccolo shocked him even more by offering a small smile. "Yes. He _was_ my rival at one point, remember?"

Gohan only stared at him.

"Gohan, tell me more. About how you feel." Piccolo said, his smile never fading.

"It's just… Well, here I am lying in bed, counting the days that go by as I wait for my death… And… I can't help but feel like my father is… well, the cause for it all." The boy replied, looking away in shame. "He pitted me against Cell… And now I'm as good as dead."

"You blame him?"

"Not willingly. And not completely, either. But I feel like a part of me does."

"You have a reason to, don't you?"

"Yes... But it isn't a good one. Father had no idea, it was an honest mistake."

"And yet he still made it."

"Yes…"

"So, you have a reason."

"Yes, but-"

"And you're blaming him for it."

"… yes."

Piccolo remained silent. Gohan continued, figuring he might as well say everything that was on his mind. There was no hiding from Piccolo, anyway.

"I… I feel guilty for thinking like this… But I just can't get over the fact that he sent me out there to fight Cell at such a young age… And now look at me… I'm stuck in my room, bedridden, just waiting to die… I know it's not his fault, Piccolo, but I… I don't want to die because of something like this…"

Piccolo eyed him for a few seconds before letting out a chuckle. Gohan looked at him.

"Kid, it's okay."

Gohan gave him a confused look. Piccolo continued.

"You don't have to feel guilty. It's okay to feel that way. Your reasons are valid, aren't they?"

"Yes, but…"

"But he's your father."

"Yeah…"

"Gohan, it's okay to feel that way towards anyone. Just as long as you don't make the wrong decisions when you go about confronting him."

"But, I don't want…" Gohan trailed off.

"You can't run from this. It'll follow you to Otherworld. _He'll_ follow you to Otherworld. The only way you can bring this to closure is if you tell him how you feel. You have to tell him the truth. The real truth."

"But, I don't want to hurt him…"

"Gohan."

"Yes?"

"Sometimes, it's better if you let him get hurt."

"Why?"

"Because if he doesn't feel pain from this then he'll never know. He'll never learn from this, and he'll continue to make mistakes."

"Isn't there a way to help him see without hurting him?"

Piccolo smirked. "With a man as dense as your father, pain is the only thing that'll get the idea drilled in his head."

Gohan looked at the man warily.

"… how do I do it? How do I confront him?"

Piccolo reached in through the window and grabbed one of his shoulders.

"Just tell him the truth. About how you ended up this way. About how you feel. Rant, yell, do anything. As long as you're assertive, you'll get through to him." He said.

"And how do I know when to confront him?"

"Whenever you're ready, kid. You'll know when you are."

Gohan stayed quiet for a minute in contemplation, before looking to his mentor and smiling.

"Thanks, Piccolo." He said.

"No problem, kid."

Gohan sensed his mother walking towards his room.

"You feel that?" he asked Piccolo.

Piccolo nodded. "That's my cue to leave isn't it?" he asked.

Gohan looked to him apologetically. "Yeah… Sorry Piccolo."

His mentor chuckled. "It's fine kid. Just make sure to call when you want any company."

Gohan chuckled as well. "Okay."

And with that, Piccolo flashed one more smile before turning heel and flying off. Gohan smiled at his retreating form. A minute later, Chi Chi walked in.

"Morning, sweetie." She said with a smile.

"Morning, mom." Gohan replied. "You're looking better."

The woman chuckled. "I feel better." She said, placing a hand on her stomach. "I'm sure your sibling does, too."

Gohan smiled wider. "That's good," he said. "Speaking of, have you decided on a name for the little guy?"

Chi Chi looked down at her stomach. "Not yet. Although… I wonder if I should let you decide."

"Me?"

"Yes. I don't know why, but I feel like your sibling's going to like whatever name you choose for them." He said.

Gohan smiled fondly at her before looking out the window. He felt that Piccolo was still nearby, most likely listening to them.

"I'll think about it." He said, turning his gaze back to her.

Chi Chi kissed her son's forehead before standing. "I'd better get started on breakfast." She said, starting toward the door.

"Don't overwork yourself, okay?" Gohan requested. Chi Chi simply nodded with a chuckle and left.

Gohan flopped down on the bed. "A name, huh?" he murmured.

"You think you can come up with a good one?"

Gohan turned his head to see Piccolo standing in the doorway again. He grinned.

"Can't stay away for even a few minutes, huh?" he teased.

"Oh, is that how it is?" Piccolo asked in mock disbelief. "Well, if you want me to go, then…"

Gohan chuckled. "No. I don't want you to go."

The boy hopped out of bed and walked over to the window again, crossing his arms over the windowsill and resting his head in them.

"I wonder what kind of name I should choose…" he said. "What do you think?"

"Well… personally I think it should be something that relates to your name and Goku's name. Something with "Go" in it." Piccolo said. Gohan didn't flinch at the mention of his father as he was too focused on his soon to be born sibling. Piccolo was grateful for that.

Gohan looked up. "Let's see… If they're a girl, then… Go…me… Gona…. Go…lan…" he murmured.

"Do you even know what those endings mean?"

"No, I'm just naming them off the top of my head. Do you?"

"No."

Gohan hummed a little. "If they're a girl, then I'd name them Gome." He said. "If they're a boy, then… Go… Go… Huh. I dunno."

Both mentor and student sat in silence.

"Well, if we're going by meanings…" Gohan said. "My sibling is probably going to be the light of my mom's life… And… in my dream, they looked like Dad, and Dad's in heaven, so… Goten?"

Piccolo suddenly smiled. "I like the sound of that." He said. "It works."

Gohan grinned widely. "Goten… Yeah, I think I'll name them Goten."

* * *

I've finally posted this! This one was a challenge, because a lot changed from the way this chapter originally played out. Any by that, I mean I already had Goten born when this happened. I was so pumped about it and then I realized that it wouldn't line up with the timeline, as Chi Chi wouldn't be able to have Goten at that point in time.

…yeeeah probably should've checked first.

Luckily, I got the whole naming thing instead! I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out. Hope y'all are, too.

Look forward to the next chapter! Cause something big is about to be discovered.

…And it changes **_everything._**

…And yes, it's one of, if not the, concept(s) that inspired me to write this story.

…And yes, I forgot to reveal it in the third chapter. And… I forgot about the fact that it was needed in the story until I read it in the reviews.

…Yeeaah so if something doesn't exactly make much sense, look in the notes at the end of the next chapter.

Ja ne~!


	9. Chapter 9 - Revelations of Despair

AHH this took a lot more consideration than I thought… Oh well.

This chapter contains touchy subjects, I think. Do be mindful as you proceed.

None of you will have ever seen this coming… I have done something awful.

I don't own Dragon Ball Z.

* * *

Gohan sighed as he sat on the couch in an awkward silence as he waited for his friends to arrive. One more week had passed since his talk with Piccolo. Since then, Krillin had called him up and they engaged in a friendly conversation that somehow ended with Gohan agreeing to let him and some others come over. Great, now to break out the improv.

'Why did I let this happen…?' he thought miserably.

Gohan had been letting his energy leak a bit to reduce the stress of keeping it contained. He thought about what he and his mentor had discovered with his powers.

'So… it's okay to let my powers leak… And it's okay to go Super Saiyan… So long as I don't let my emotions get the better of me and let my powers build up too much…' he thought. '…what about super saiyan two…?'

He stood up, holding his hands out in front of him. "…Is it safe to try?" he asked himself.

Gohan took a deep breath, preparing to power up, when a knock sounded at the door. He flinched and looked to see Krillin waving at him in the window. Gohan sighed and walked over, opening the door. Krillin and Bulma grinned.

"H-Hi, guys!" he said, forcing a smile. "Come in."

Gohan stepped aside and they walked in. He turned to the open door and blew out another sigh, frowning. 'Well… here goes round two…' he thought.

"So, Gohan, what's up?" Krillin asked. Gohan raised an eyebrow. He didn't seem all that cheery.

"Uh… Nothing much…" he replied, walking over to the couch. "What about you guys?"

"Same."

Kami, this was too weird.

Gohan cleared his throat. "Uh, a-anyways… Do you guys want anything to-"

"Gohan."

Bulma, who hadn't said a word to him yet, stood from the couch and eyed him intensely. Gohan gulped. Well, that escalated quickly.

"Did something happen at the picnic? Something to do with… your condition?"

Crud. It was a good thing they didn't know Gohan's real condition.

"Y-Yeah…" Gohan replied, somewhat flustered. 'Keep your cool, Gohan!' he yelled at himself. 'You can't let them find out!'

"I thought so!" Bulma exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?! I could have done something to help!"

"Uh, well… I didn't want to cause a scene… It wasn't that bad…" the boy mumbled. "I was just… tired."

"And you couldn't have told me you were going to leave?"

Geez, what was this, a friendly visit or an interrogation?

Krillin intervened (thank Dende), placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, easy there, Bulma. You're making the kid uncomfortable here…" he said, smiling nervously.

The woman continued to stare at the boy sharply. Gohan looked away.

"I just… I don't want you guys to get any more involved with this… I have only three more months until it happens…And I'd really rather not have you guys burden yourselves with worrying about me… If you want to worry about someone, worry about Mom. She's the one who's pregnant."

"Wait, Chi Chi's pregnant?!" Krillin exclaimed.

Bulma disregarded him. "We're your friends! Of course we're gonna worry about you, whether you like it or not!"

Gohan remembered Goku's sacrifice back and the Cell Games and then the nightmare he had last week, clenching his fists tightly. "You shouldn't… You really shouldn't…" he muttered.

"What was that?"

Gohan looked at them and smiled reassuringly. "You don't need to do that. You guys just have to wish me back with the dragon balls!" he said. "Everything's gonna be fine, so stop being so concerned!"

Krillin grinned and slapped him on the back. Bulma, however, didn't look as convinced.

"You need to stop saying that all the time, kid." She said sternly. "You're gonna make it through this."

What utter garbage.

Gohan smiled humorlessly. "Bulma…" he turned to her with blank eyes, making her flinch.

 **"** **You really shouldn't lie to my face like that."**

She seemed shell shocked. Gohan forced a laugh.

"I mean, I don't say that _all_ the time, do I?" he asked, knowing full well what she'd meant.

Bulma sighed, looking relived. Good, she bought it.

"Don't you worry, either, bro!" Krillin said, completely oblivious to the intensity of the situation. "You can count on us to wish you back! You'll be back before you even know it!"

That got Gohan thinking. How exactly would he die? Would he die instantly, or would it be agonizing and painful to the end? Or would it hurt, but it'd be pretty quick and he'd find himself in front of King Yemma before he even knew it? And what about Yemma? Gohan wondered if he was nice. Are judges nice?

That led Gohan to wonder exactly how his death would be ruled. He would be destroyed by something other than an illness or old age, so that wouldn't be considered death by natural causes, would it?

But on the other hand… he technically would be killing himself, even if it wasn't intentional… And his condition was brought on by unusual actions and involvement that could have been avoided. They weren't, but they could have, had he known the consequences…

Gohan went pale, breaking out into a cold sweat. No… if his death was ruled suicide or natural, then…

 ** _He could never be wished back._**

Neither Shenron or Porunga would revive someone who's death was ruled something other than murder or an accident, which was why Goku from Trunks's timeline wasn't able to be wished back. And while Gohan wouldn't be dying of a heart disease (contrary to what he told his friends), there was still the possibility…

No.

No, no, no, _no_ , _no_ , **_NO!_**

That couldn't be the case, could it…?

All this time, Gohan had been focused on his condition and how he was going to die rather than how his death would be _ruled_. Both he and Piccolo hadn't even considered the possibility of…

Everything suddenly became _very_ real. Gohan was going to die.

 ** _And he wasn't coming back._**

Gohan absent mindedly stumbled back a bit, unaware that both Krillin and Bulma were starting to get worried. He fisted a hand in his shirt over his heart, starting to hyperventilate.

This had never happened before. Never. Not even when Goku and Krillin had died on Namek, or when Goku gave up his life at the Cell Games. There was _always_ a way, they _always had a happy ending!_

So why now? Why _him?_

What in _HFIL_ had he done to deserve _this_?!

Was it because he disobeyed his father? Was this his punishment for leading Goku to his death?

No, it couldn't be. Even if Goku had survived, everything would still amount to his inevitable end.

So then _why?_ Was life really that unfair?

His mother would be all alone… Pregnant with her second born son.

His unborn sibling would have no one but his mother. His mother, who would probably be broken in spirit.

Why? _Why,_ dammit?!

"Gohan!"

He couldn't hear anything.

"Gohan!"

He couldn't feel anything.

 _"_ _Gohan!"_

He was numb. Everything was numb.

Some briskly shook his shoulders and Gohan was startled into reality, finding Piccolo staring at him with worry the boy had never seen before.

"Gohan, are you okay?!" he asked.

Gohan was unable to respond, instead looking around to find Bulma comforting his weeping mother and Krillin looking at him over his mentor's shoulder. He was sitting on the floor, he realized. Someone had propped him up against the couch, probably Piccolo.

The half saiyan finally found his voice. Or, at least part of it.

"I-I'm okay…" he whispered hoarsely. He was still severely out of the loop.

Piccolo's sigh of relief was audible to everyone in the room, but he didn't seem to care much about that. His mentor removed his hands from the boy's shoulders, eyeing him hardly, but cautiously.

"What happened, kid?" his voice was uncharacteristically soft.

"I… I think I blacked out for a second there…" Gohan responded hoarsely.

Regaining his bearings, Gohan mustered the strength to grip Piccolo's cloak tightly. He opened their mind link, fixing a serious gaze on him.

'We need to talk.'

'Okay.'

The boy let go of Piccolo's cape when his mother bounded over to him in tears. He hugged her weakly, patting her back.

"Don't worry, mom… I'm fine…" he said reassuringly. "Just… got dizzy."

Chi Chi continued to cry while Gohan looked to Piccolo for help. The Namekian sighed and placed a hand on his mother's shoulder, already knowing what to do.

"We should let him rest for now." He said. "He's probably just exhausted."

Piccolo truly was a master at quick thinking at times.

Chi Chi nodded and looked to Bulma and Krillin. "I'm sorry, could you come back another time?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure, it's fine!" Krillin replied hastily. "But… promise us you'll get some rest, okay? Both of you."

Gohan nodded and offered a pathetic ghost of a smile before letting out a sigh. He pulled himself up and trudged to his room. He was too tired for this… How many more times would he have to say that? Rather... How much time?

He didn't know.

* * *

Piccolo told Chi Chi to rest before heading outside, where Bulma and Krillin were conversing.

"Gohan's hiding something," said Bulma. "I know it."

"What? Why would he do that?" asked Krillin.

"I don't know why, but he is. Didn't you see him back there?! He was on the verge of having a panic attack and he said he was just _dizzy_!"

"W-Well… Maybe he was in pain?"

"If that were true, he'd tell us!"

Krillin shook his head. "Bulma, he said it himself, that he didn't want to worry us."

"He needs to stop that before he gets hurt!" the woman exclaimed irritably.

"I agree…"

Shoot, they were meddling again. If they interfered, they'd find out the truth…

Piccolo approached them. "Whether you want him to open up or not, he'll still keep these things to himself. It's how he is." He said.

"Piccolo…" Krillin murmured.

"Well, it's not a good habit to have." Bulma muttered.

"You're wrong. It's not a habit, it's who he is as a person. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, so he takes on all of his burdens by himself." Piccolo replied. "That's not something that can be changed so easily."

"Then what are we supposed to do?!" The woman demanded.

Piccolo closed his eyes. "Perhaps it would be best if you didn't interfere." He said.

"What?! I'm not going to let Gohan deal with this all by himself!"

This was getting frustrating. "Look, it's what Gohan wants. We've already established that there's no way to save him, so let's just let it happen and then we'll wish him back."

"You're just going to give up on him?! I can't believe you, I thought you were his friend!"

That crossed the line.

Piccolo eyed her with a gaze so intense she immediately recoiled in fear.

"For you to have the audacity to even _suggest_ I've given up on him is more than insulting." He growled. "Don't you _dare_ insinuate I've left him to die, because that couldn't be farther from the truth."

Bulma stared at him with wide eyes, suddenly recognizing the pain and sorrow the Namekian had bottled up inside him. She suddenly felt very ashamed.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, looking away.

Piccolo said nothing, whipping around and walking back inside the house. He shut the door somewhat hard, leaning against it. His sight trailed the wooden floor as he clenched a fist.

"…He's like a son to me. How _could_ I give up on him?" he muttered.

The Namekian shook his head briskly before making his way to his friend's room and opening the door.

* * *

Gohan turned to see Piccolo walk through the door. He smiled.

"I heard your conversation with Bulma and Krillin." He said. "…I'm glad that you aren't going to leave me alone on this."

Piccolo walked over to him and brushed a hand through the boy's hair, a rare display of affection for him. "I'd never leave you to deal with this alone, kid. Never."

Gohan smiled. "You got here pretty fast. How'd you know I was having a mental breakdown?"

"You energy was fluctuating pretty rapidly, so I assumed something had happened."

"Still doesn't explain how you got here so fast."

"I was close by."

"You just _happened_ to be close by?"

"Yes."

"You're a horrible liar, Piccolo."

"Takes one to know one, kid."

Gohan chuckled before his expression faded into a more serious one.

"I… I had a thought." He said.

"About what?"

The boy fisted his hands in his blanket. "…How exactly will my death be ruled?"

"What?"

"I mean… Will it be considered an accident, or… will it be considered suicide, or natural?"

Piccolo eyed him confusedly. "Why does that matter?"

Gohan looked at him worriedly. "Because… it could mean the difference between…" He trailed off and checked if anyone else was close by. There weren't. Good.

"Well?"

"It could mean the difference between coming back… and not."

Piccolo flinched. "What? How would that-"

Suddenly, the Namekian realized. And he froze.

Piccolo shook his head in denial. "N… No. No, it couldn't be…" he muttered. "That's not right…"

Gohan looked at him pleadingly. "Piccolo, _please_ , we have to talk to King Kai!" he begged.

His mentor wasted no time in doing so, calling the deity's name like a prayer.

 _"_ _Piccolo? What is it?"_

"King Kai, something's wrong!" Gohan said, distressed. Piccolo placed a hand on his shoulder and instructed him to breathe. Gohan did so, fearing having another episode.

 _"_ _What is it?"_ King Kai suddenly sounded very concerned.

"M-My death… What will it be ruled?" Gohan stuttered, terrified.

 _"_ _Your death? Why would you want to-"_

"I'll explain soon, just tell us!" Piccolo demanded.

 _"_ _Okay, okay, uh… Well, if we're going by the book here, then it'll be considered… suicide."_

Gohan's heart dropped to his stomach.

"What?"

"No…"

 _"_ _Why do you ask?"_

"King Kai, do you know what that means?" asked Piccolo, wide eyed.

 _"_ _What are you talking abo-"_ He suddenly cut off, seemingly realizing as well. _"Oh… Oh, Gohan, I…"_

"Can you change that? Can you change how it'll be ruled?" Now even Piccolo seemed distressed.

 _"_ _I… I'm sorry, Piccolo, I can't… I may be a Kai but I don't have the authority to do that…"_

Piccolo went quiet. Gohan's hands shook.

"N… No. But-But what about mom?! What about my sibling?! What's gonna happen to them?!" he suddenly became terrified and distressed again. "I-I can't! I can't leave them!"

 _"_ _Gohan, calm down! You'll have another episode!"_

The half saiyan forced himself to calm down once again, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Piccolo squeezed his shoulder. He'd heard enough.

"…thank you, King Kai."

 _"_ _Yeah… I… I'm really sorry."_

King Kai was met with silence and he severed the link. Piccolo, once sure no one was listening, sat on Gohan's bed, his hand still resting on the boy's shoulder. Gohan was unable to control himself, and fell onto his mentor's shoulder with a sob. And he kept crying. And Piccolo let him.

It was all he could do anymore.

* * *

Okay, couple things.

1) Not really sure if Gohan's epiphany/mental breakdown scene is considered a panic attack… Pardon me if I'm wrong.

2) I'm also not sure if the whole "dragon doesn't revive people that died of natural causes/suicide" concept is canon. Let's assume it is for the sake of this series.

I must say, this chapter turned out a lot darker than intended. Although I guess that makes sense considering there has never been a situation in DBZ (at least, up to this point) where someone _can't_ be revived. Sure, there are points where people choose not to come back (like Goku post Cell Games), but there are never any situations where someone is _permanently dead_ , no matter what is done to try and revive them.

This whole concept is actually what sets in motion some of the themes of this series, and it's the concept that led me to write this thing. I, uh… Took it a lot further than I'd intended though.

Anyway, I feel like the concept is substantially dark for DBZ, since, like I said, it's never happened in canon. The ability to revive someone a seemingly infinite amount of times brought up the question, "Do the characters in DBZ really understand the true meaning of _death_?" So I thought, "What if I made it to where someone couldn't come back, at _all_?"

And of course I'd make my victim my favorite character. _

Anywayz if ya liked the chapter (And perhaps my monologue) then please review! Thank you!

Ja ne~!


	10. Chapter 10 - Tears and Rain

IM NOT DED

School started two weeks ago and I already loathe it.

That being said, IMPORTANT NOTE AT END.

I don't own DBZ. If I did, Saiyaman would actually look cool.

* * *

4 months. 4 months had gone by quickly. So he had 2 months left.

Oh, how he cursed the heavens!

Except he didn't. Instead, he just laid in bed, not blaming anyone. He couldn't. He didn't have the strength to do it. He didn't have the strength to do anything but sit and stare. And of course, contain his leaking power.

And God, did it hurt.

His episodes happened on their own now. Even without feeling especially disturbed or upset about something. He'd just collapse and start screaming.

It was horribly saddening to watch. So much so that she'd cry herself to sleep, every single night.

And so would he.

It hurt, be God, it hurt like no other. But he did nothing besides moan to himself. He couldn't worry her any more than he already had. For her sake, and his sibling's.

It hurt more.

He lay in bed, waiting deliriously for the episode to occur, for his momentary loss of composure. Waiting. Waiting. Still waiting.

It hurt even more.

He breathed in and out heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead. A wet cloth lay near a bucket of cold water on his bedside table that he hadn't even bothered to touch. His sweat soaked hair dampened the flat pillow beneath his head.

Could it hurt even more? Because it did.

He thought about how happy he was to tell his friends on the Lookout the news about his sibling. He thought about when he chose the names for the unborn child. He thought about how happy they would've been together.

It didn't hurt as much.

He thought about all the happy times he'd had with his friends. He thought about all the times he's spent laughing with them, smiling with them, all the good memories they'd shared.

It hurt less.

He thought about his times with his father. They big tree he'd visited with him and Krillin. His birthday party. All those happy times with his father that were far and few in between, but joyful all the same.

It stopped hurting.

And then he thought about how he let his father die. And how his mentor sacrificed himself for him. And his nightmare that continued to haunt him relentlessly. And about how he was going to die, and stay dead. Forever.

And he'd be stuck in Otherworld with no way out while his mother and sibling and best friend suffered _and it was all because OF HIS FATHER-_

He breathed in and exhaled heavily. He draped an arm over his eyes.

Don't release.

Don't lose control.

Don't _scream._

It hurt more than ever before.

And he cried.

* * *

He walked alongside his mentor, the sun setting as they made their way through the meadow. He had managed to regain enough control and strength to go on a short walk with his best friend. They exchanged words for a while, before silence fell upon them.

However, after a while the quiet became suffocating, and he spoke.

"…my dad doesn't know yet." He said quietly.

His mentor turned to him. "About your sentence?" he already knew the answer.

"Yes."

"Are you planning on telling him?"

"…not now."

"When, then?"

"…I don't know."

They fell into silence once more, this time even more dense than the last. He shifted his gaze to the ground.

"He wants to come back now. He can't wait any more."

"Did he tell you that?"

"No. I learned from someone else." Who that was, Piccolo knew as well.

"You knew this would happen, kid. It was inevitable."

"I know… I just wish I knew what he's thinking."

"You could find out when he gets here."

"How?"

The Namekian smirked. "Read his mind."

"What?"

"Read his mind and find out what he wants."

His eyes widened. "That's… not a bad idea, actually." He said. "But… I don't have a strong enough mind to do it."

"I could help you with that."

"Really?"

"Come on, kid. Namekians are naturally gifted with mental training."

"Oh right! Guru!"

"Kid, I was referring to me."

He chuckled a bit. His mentor smiled wistfully. "Remember our training sessions back when I first taught you?"

He smiled. "I do. You were great."

"You can get better. I can teach you how to read someone's mind without your presence being found in their head."

"That sounds cool. Although… slight invasive."

"I told you before, kid. The only way your dad will learn is if you let him get hurt."

"Right…"

"It shouldn't affect you physically. You'll be fine."

"I know. So…Can we start tomorrow?"

"Heh, sure kid."

He grinned up at his teacher and skipped ahead a bit, leaving his mentor to smile fondly at him from behind.

Sooner or later, it began to rain. Mentor and student both stopped, the latter standing in the shower with his arms stretched out.

"It washes away my worries," he explained.

"And gives you a cold."

"Maybe. But it's still nice."

His teacher studied his student's face. Something glistened in his eyes.

"You okay, kid?"

"Hm? Yeah, of course I am. Why do you ask?"

"You're crying."

"No I'm not."

His voice cracked a bit.

"Yes you are."

"You're wrong…"

A sniffle.

His mentor smiled. "Yes, you are, kid." He said softly.

He scrubbed at his eyes. "No, I'm not. It's… just the rain."

Piccolo smiled wider.

"Rain and tears aren't the same, kid."

Gohan nodded, sniffling again as he smiled sadly.

"Yeah… you're right."

And this time, he didn't hold them back.

* * *

Didja see what I did there? I only mentioned their names at the end. Y'all know who "he" is. Yep. It's the half saiyan hero himself.

This honestly was meant to be a filler chapter before what comes next, but I decided it'd be easier to put in some important stuff now rather than later.

Ugh... I'm honestly really scared to say this... Like, TERRIFIED. But this is an IMPORTANT NOTE SO **_PLEASE_** READ.

Like I said, school's started for me which means updating once every other week is going to be really hard to do. That being said, I'm going to start updating in bulk at the END of each month instead of my previous schedule. This also goes for my Dinosaur King Series _The Hidden Powers_. I haven't been able to work on this chapter much because everything's been hectic the past few weeks, so please forgive the length of this chapter. And please note that I DO NOT PLAN ON PUTTING THIS STORY ON HIATUS. I'm just changing my update schedule. So, that means I'll post one or two chapters at the end of each month, depending on how much time I have. Some of you guys probably won't like that and I apologize in advance. Really, I wish there was SOME WAY around this, but at this point I have no other options besides putting it on hiatus. And Lord knows that wouldn't work out well. This will probably continue until around the time Winter starts, and then I'll go back to my regular update schedule up to the start of May.

I'm scared that I'll disappoint someone out there... Seriously, it's scarier than you think. Again, I'm REALLY sorry. I dunno how I can express it any better.

Anyway, I hope you'll understand(I'M SORRY AGAIN). Stay awesome and I'll see y'all at the end of the month!

Sayonara~!


	11. Chapter 11 - Patience, He Does Not Have

So, some were confused as to why Goku couldn't read Gohan's mind if he had psychic abilities. It's true, Goku DOES have psychic abilities, but he has to be close to the energy of the other person. If Goku wanted to read Gohan's mind, he'd have to be at least somewhat close to him so his presence could enter Gohan's mind. But right now Goku's on a completely different plane of existence. Does that make sense?

By the way, that isn't confirmed as canon. It's just the case for this specific story.

Now, this time on EOTD, Gohan and Piccolo have some practice mind reading, and Goku runs out of patience.

Yep.

I don't own DBZ.

By the way the wording in the first part of this chapter is kinda weird, so uh… I'm just gonna put this out there.

DON'T GET ANY IDEAS.

…

have fun.

* * *

Gohan sat on the wooden floor, Piccolo seated across from him. Both had their eyes closed, breathing at a slow but moderate pace.

"Clear your mind."

The half saiyan had retained enough knowledge from his training sessions all those years ago to understand what his mentor wanted. He erased every thought from his mind, nothing but a blank void.

"You ready?"

"Yes."

Piccolo willed his presence near Gohan's energy, finding his mind. He entered.

Gohan jumped the slightest bit. He was glad Piccolo asked for permission before entering his mind; the sensation of having one of the most important parts of your existence being invaded was strange.

Piccolo sensed Gohan's brief flash of discomfort but paid it no mind. The Namekian understood how weird mind invasions felt. He hated it, and he figured Gohan did as well.

Mind reading was rather simple. The concept was the same as speaking telepathically. The person would reach out to another's mind and take hold of it, in a sense. However, with telepathic conversation, the person would simply convey their thoughts to the other. With mind reading, the person would enter the other's mind. It was, in every aspect of the word, a form of violation.

That's why Piccolo had to commend Gohan for being so determined and less apprehensive about perfecting the technique. It forced him to step out of his comfort zone, both when he was the "victim" and the "criminal."

Gohan felt Piccolo's presence prodding around in his mind, moving and halting as if he were experiencing different memories and feelings. The half saiyan swallowed. There was no time for discomfort.

He felt Piccolo shudder. He must've seen something particularly chilling.

What Piccolo saw was when Gohan lost control a few weeks ago. His energy was releasing fast, and there were many negative thoughts littering the air.

 _This was Goku's fault!_

 _He's why I'm like this!_

 _It's his fault!_

Piccolo forced his presence away from the part of the boy's mind, only to run into something much, much worse.

 _His nightmare._

 _Murderer._

 _You're a murderer._

 _You have blood on your hands._

 _You have blood on your face._

 _You have blood on your soul._

 _You hate him._

 _You HATE him._

 _YOU HATE HIM._

Gohan knew something was wrong when he felt a sense of fear shoot through his mind. The boy opened his eyes to find Piccolo shaking violently, sweat pouring down his face.

"Piccolo? Piccolo, snap out of it!" Gohan yelled.

Piccolo didn't respond. Gohan flew forward, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him hard.

"Piccolo! Stop, that's enough!"

No response.

"Piccolo, get out of my head!"

Nothing.

Gohan grit his teeth. This was bad, Piccolo's fear was starting to spread to him. If it got any worse, he'd break down and have another episode.

In a last ditch effort, Gohan hugged his best friend tightly, trying to force Piccolo's presence out of his head with his energy.

"Piccolo, stop!"

The boy's scream got through to Piccolo, who was thrown out of Gohan's mind by the boy's own presence. He gasped, realizing Gohan had his arms tightly coiled around his neck. The kid had purged him from his mind.

"G-Gohan…" he mumbled.

Piccolo only completely regained his bearings when Gohan collapsed, exhausted from the effort of expelling Piccolo's presence. The Namekian quickly caught the boy, resting him in his lap.

"Breathe." He ordered. Gohan did so, relaxing instantly. Piccolo let out a sigh of relief.

"Good." He said. "Sorry, Gohan, I just saw something…"

"Scary?" Gohan offered.

Yeah, that was it in a nutshell.

"Pretty much."

"What was it?"

Piccolo answered against his better judgement. "It was… your nightmare."

"Oh."

The Namekian stood, placing Gohan on his bed and covering his form with the sheet. That was intense. Intense enough for Piccolo to call it a day.

"I think we're done for today, kid." He said.

Gohan suddenly felt bad for scaring his mentor. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Piccolo already knew why.

"I didn't mean to scare you like that."

The Namekian sighed and sat next to Gohan on the bed, placing a hand on the boy's head.

"Kid, I knew I'd risk seeing things I didn't want to see by reading your mind." He said. "It isn't your fault at all."

Gohan responded with a slight nod.

Piccolo realized that Gohan would probably want to be left alone for now. The boy did just have his mind invaded, not to mention with some undesirable results. The Namekian didn't want to leave the boy's side, he really didn't. But if that's what Gohan wanted then he couldn't object.

Piccolo made to get up when the boy reached out and weakly took hold of his hand.

"Where are you going…?" his voice was soft.

"I'm going back to the wastelands. I need to do some meditation." Piccolo explained.

"…please… don't go."

Piccolo froze.

"Don't leave me alone…"

Gohan's face was heartbreaking,

"I'm scared, Piccolo. I-I'm really scared…" The boy's voice broke halfway through the sentence. Piccolo's brow creased.

How could he leave after the boy almost lost himself again?

The Namekian heaved a sigh despite warmth and relief blooming in his chest. He couldn't hide a smile as he leaned back onto the headboard of the bed, laying a hand on the half saiyan's head. Gohan smiled.

"Thank you," he whispered before falling into a deep, peaceful slumber.

Piccolo's smile widened.

"You're welcome, kid."

He'd never leave the kid, no matter what.

…even though he knew it was inevitable.

* * *

Goku sat on the fresh green grass of Grand Kai's planet. The saiyan wiped his forehead, soaked from the intense training he'd been undergoing. He looked around, a smile pulling at the edges of his mouth.

Man, all these fighters training in one place. It was a dream come true. Goku figured he was the second strongest (dead) fighter there, the first being Pikkon.

Heh. Even if Pikkon was the strongest fighter in Heaven, he was still no match for…

…him.

Goku's smile faded into a frown. How long had it been on Earth? How long had it been since Gohan broke the news to him? And for that matter, how much longer would he have to wait before he could go back?

Goku stood. Gohan never told him he couldn't come back, he just said to wait. And it had been a while now, right? Surely they were ready back on Earth.

King Kai trotted up to him. "Hey, Goku. You done with your training session?"

Goku startled out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh, yeah." he answered.

King Kai raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong? You don't look too hot." he commented.

The saiyan debated bringing up the subject to King Kai or not. The deity was in a good mood, he could tell. Would asking about it worry him? Would it be selfish of him to do that?

But… it was okay to be selfish every now and then. Right?

"Goku?"

"How much time has passed on Earth since I last talked to Gohan?" he blurted out.

King Kai visibly tensed. "Oh, uh…" Shoot, this conversation was going in a direction he did not want to take. "About a month? More or less?"

Goku quieted. One month, huh? Yeah, that should have been plenty of time to get ready for his return! It's been long enough, the saiyan decided. He was coming home.

The man eyed King Kai, his black orbs practically glowing with resolve. "King Kai," he started.

The deity gulped at the strength in the fighter's voice.

"Y-Yes?" he all but squeaked out.

"I'm going back to Earth." The saiyan declared.

King Kai broke out in a cold sweat. "Goku, Gohan said to wait-" he started.

"I can't wait anymore! My son needs me! Besides, it's been a month now, hasn't it?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"There! You see?"

"But Gohan hasn't said if you can go back yet!"

"Ask him, then."

King Kai was shocked at the look in Goku's eyes. He was practically daring him to say no.

"I…" he mumbled. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because… he's sleeping."

"Wake him up, then."

"Wha- Goku, that's-"

"It's been too long. I have to go back now,"

"Goku…"

The saiyan narrowed his eyes. "I'm not going to wait anymore, King Kai."

King Kai clenched his fists. This was bad. He didn't know if the boy was ready for his father's return. Gohan would have to tell the others about Goku's arrival before it happened, but at this point, there would be absolutely no time for that. However, from the look on Goku's face, the saiyan was backing down any time soon.

Darn this saiyan and his stubbornness…

The deity sighed. He had no choice, he'd have to tell Gohan.

King Kai nodded. "Okay, just… Give me a second to…" he looked around, trying to find some way to get away from Goku.

"What?" Goku asked, an impatient undertone present in his voice. Good gods, he was serious about this...

"Well, I-I…" Dammit, King Kai, think!

"You what?"

King Kai mustered up whatever courage he had and tried for an annoyed look. "W-Well I can't concentrate with you staring me like that!" He complained.

Goku blinked before laughing. "Oh, right!" He said, sweating a bit. King Kai slouched. That man had mood swings, he swore.

The deity quickly skittered away from Goku before finding Gohan's presence.

"Gohan?" He said in a hushed voice.

A few seconds passed before the hybrid responded.

" _Yes?"_

"We have a problem."

" _What is it?"_ The boy's tone grew concerned.

King Kai sucked in a sharp breath. "Goku… wants to come back. Right now."

" _What? I told him to wait!"_

"I know, but he's gotten too impatient… I can't hold out any longer, kid."

A heavy sigh sounded, and King Kai sweat nervously.

" _Is he listening?"_

"No…"

" _Good. King Kai, I want you to bring him back."_

"Are you sure? You don't want to tell the others first?"

" _It's fine. They'll find out eventually."_

"I… I don't know about this, Gohan…"

" _...This is the only choice we have. If he won't wait anymore, then that's that."_

"Okay, but I want to be really sure. Do you want him to come back now?"

" _Yes."_

King Kai sighed heavily. "Okay, Gohan… It'll be about fifteen minutes before he gets back to Earth. Is that okay?"

" _Yes, go ahead."_

"Okay… I'll tell him. And, I'm sorry I couldn't make him wait any longer."

" _It's okay."_

Trusting Gohan, King Kai walked back over to Goku, who went from bouncing on his heels impatiently to running over to him with urgency.

"What did he say?" King Kai noted the hopefulness in his voice, poorly hidden by an irritated tone.

"He said you can come back now." Goku's eyes lit up like King Kai had never seen before. The saiyan grinned widely before letting out a loud, "WOO HOO!"

The deity sweat nervously as Goku proceeded to scream, "I'm goin' back to Earth, baby!"

Gods, he was too old for this…

After gently reminding Goku to "Shut up before his stupid butt gets them thrown out of Upper Heaven," King Kai walked away from the man. Beginning his search for Namek, King Kai sighed.

"I can only hope Gohan knew what he was doing…"

* * *

"I'm somewhat surprised."

Gohan turned to Piccolo. "Why?"

"You handled that rather well. I was expecting you to have another episode or fly into a blind panic."

"Yeah, well… I kinda figured it'd come to this… eventually."

"So, what about your mother?"

"I'll…"

"See what we can do?"

"No."

Piccolo raised a brow. Gohan turned to him, a tired yet determined look in his eye.

"No?" Piccolo asked.

Gohan nodded firmly. "No. I won't be seeing what we can do and making a choice." he said, the hoarseness in his voice all but completely disappeared. "I'm tired of being told what I can and can't do. And I'm tired of being told my fate, because it's my life, my existence. I'll make my own path. No one gets to tell me what I can do anymore, because right now, my time and my life is entirely in my hands. I'll do what I want to, no matter what anyone gives me."

Piccolo had to smile at that. It was time Gohan did what he wanted. The kid's been forced to do so much in his years; the Namekian himself was guilty of that as well. And now the boy was free. Free to do what he wanted for once in his life.

"No one gets to tell me who I am anymore…"

Piccolo's eyes widened before nodding in understanding. That, too, was true.

So very true…

"You realize that you've just taken your first step toward confronting Goku, right?" he asked.

Gohan nodded. "Yes."

"You know what you want to tell him?"

"I do."

"Do you know how you're going to approach him?"

"Mm-hmm."

"...are you ready?"

The hybrid didn't get to answer when someone appeared in front of him, two fingers placed on their forehead.

And with all the shock and pain that coursed through his body in that moment, Gohan could do nothing but scream.

* * *

Woo! Dis one was a doozie! More will be coming later this week! Yeah, you read right! Later **this** week (if all goes well)! Back to back chapters (sorta) everyone!

Hehe, a lot of you are really excited for Gohan's confrontation with Goku. I'm not going to spoil anything, but I wanna say three things about that scene that will make you all the more excited:

One: That entire confrontation (Not the chapter, just the confrontation) is already completely written out. There are some things that may be tweaked slightly, just because the plot has changed since I first wrote it so some things are inaccurate.

Two: That scene was actually one of the first (maybe even the first, if I'm not mistaken) ones I've written for this series.

Three: The scene itself is around 3,000 words long. WAT.

BE EXCITED. IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST ACTION PACKED SCENES IN THIS PART OF THE SERIES.

According to my new release schedule, it'll probably up either October or November.

Who knows, if enough people comment that they want to see it, it may even be sooner than the end of October…? Not trying to force you to review, not at all, but seeing feedback (even if it's not entirely positive) warms mah hart. Seriously, guys. You have no idea how pumped I get to write when I see a new review. Heh, once I read a question in the reviews and immediately went to Word and started typing away. I got about 500 words in ten minutes. No outline, no planning, just me and my typing fingers.

DAT BEING SAID, PLZ READ AND REVIEW!

And I will see you guys tomorrow!

Ja ne~!


	12. Chapter 12 - They Wished a Curse on Us

YE I KNOW MONDAY IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW WEEK BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF NOT WANTING TO USE THE "OR" I SHALL MAKE AN EXCEPTION.

Ahem.

I don't own DBZ.

* * *

Goku stumbled in shock as his son let out a shrill cry of pain, fisting his hands in his shirt. The boy promptly shut his mouth, unwilling to alert his mother at all. He was sure he bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood.

Piccolo glowered at Goku before turning his gaze to his student. Gohan curled into himself, shaking like a leaf in the wind. The boy grit his teeth, trying to suppress deep shuddering breaths. Piccolo placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Breathe," he ordered. "Calm down and breathe."

Gohan did as he was told, still in shock from his father's sudden appearance. Tears built in his eyes at the pain, but he forced them back. He couldn't be weak in front of his father. He had something to do.

Goku, meanwhile, could only stae in stunned silence at the scene. Be couldn't believe how far gone Gohan was. It was unbelievable.

Gohan finally calmed down enough to let go of his death grip on his shirt. He eyed his dad, trembling. He gave him a weak smile, forced and anything but genuine.

"H-Heh… give me a little w-warning next time, will y-ya?" He stuttered, his eyesight going in and out of blurriness.

"Gohan, what on Earth…?" Goku murmured, shocked.

"Y-You startled me… My nerves overreacted and everything started hurting like crazy."

"Oh… Sorry, son…" the full blooded saiyan mumbled.

"S'okay…" Gohan slurred. "Anyway… Uh… H-Hi, dad….?"

Goku blinked before smiling awkwardly. "Oh! Y-Yeah, hey guys…" he said. "I, uh… I'm back…"

Piccolo scoffed. "Really?" he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "We had no idea."

Goku cringed. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry…" he said. "It's just… I couldn't wait anymore… I couldn't… just stay in Otherworld knowing…"

"I was dying." Gohan supplied. "I get that, but… How's everyone gonna react? How's mom gonna react, she's pregnant!"

Goku's eyes widened. "Oh… shoot." he mumbled. "Uh…"

Suddenly, Chi Chi's life force became a bit more noticeable. Gohan's eyes widened.

"Uh-oh… She woke up from her nap…" he said nervously. "Uh… can you… hide in the woods while I talk to her?"

"Y-Yeah, sure…" Goku said, practically leaping out the window when he realized she was right outside the door.

The doorknob twisted and opened slowly, a soft voice ringing through the air.

"Gohan? Sweetie, who are you talking to?" she asked, walking through the door.

"J-Just Piccolo, Mom." he replied, shoving his hands under the bedsheets to hide his shaking hands.

"Oh, okay." she turned to Piccolo. "Has anything happened? Has he been okay?"

Piccolo nodded. He noticed that Chi Chi had become a lot more comfortable with him since the Cell Games. Before, Chi Chi would have been against having Piccolo over so often. But ever since the Cell Games passed, Chi Chi had become more accepting of him. She definitely trusted him more, which was good, because Gohan needed him more than ever before now.

"He had a short episode a while ago, but he got through it rather well." he replied.

"Good… That's good." she replied. Chi Chi walked over to Gohan and offered a small smile. "It's good to hear you're getting through this alright…"

Gohan had to force a smile to keep from breaking into tears. He placed a hand on hers, squeezing it softly. Dende, why did his mother have to deal with all of this…?

"What about you?" he asked. "Are you doing alright?"

Chi Chi's smile widened. "Yes, I'm fine." she replied.

"Good… Good."

His mother leaned forward and kissed her son's forehead before nodding to Piccolo. She turned to leave when Gohan called out to her.

"Wait!"

Chi Chi turned to him. "Something wrong, sweetie?"

"U-Uh…" Crud, he had to do this now? "I, uh… I talked to King Kai and… dad."

Her eyes widened. "You talked to Goku?" she asked frantically.

Gohan nodded. "Yeah and, uh… Well… he, he wants to come back."

Chi Chi gasped before breaking into a wide smile. "Goku is coming back…?" she asked hopefully. "When?"

"Uh… Well, first I have to know… Are you okay with him coming back?"

Chi Chi laughed. "Of course I am!" she replied, ecstatic at the thought of her husband returning.

"W-Well… Let's go to the living room, then." he said.

"Why?"

"Just… Just trust me on this, alright?"

Chi Chi eyed him confusedly, but nodded anyway and made her way to the living room. Gohan ran to his window and look to find Goku hiding under the windowsill.

"I thought you were hiding in the woods?" he asked.

"I was going to, but I wanted to hear what you guys were saying." Goku replied, grinning impishly. Gohan sighed.

"Okay, uh… I need you to hide behind the door. Come in only when I tell her you're here, okay?"

"Okay."

Gohan sighed and walked over to the living room, Piccolo following him after making sure Goku was near the door and hiding. The boy sat down on the couch, motioning for his mother to sit next to him.

"So, uh…" he started. "You said you're okay with him coming back, right?"  
"Yes, but… why did you bring me into the living room?" she asked.  
Here we go… "Okay, uh… I need to you to stay calm, okay?"  
"What? Why do you say that?" Shoot, she's starting to panic… "Gohan, what's going on?"  
Gohan gulped. "Just… don't be too surprised, okay?"  
"Why do you say that?"  
"Because… he's already here."

Chi Chi gasped as Goku walked in, waving slightly. "Hey, guys…" he said, somewhat nervously.

"G… Goku…?" Chi Chi whispered.

"H-Hi, honey…" Goku replied, chuckling awkwardly. "How's-"

Goku abruptly cut off when Chi Chi barreled into him, sobbing. The saiyan sighed and hugged her gently.

"Hey… I'm home." he said softly.

Chi Chi sniffled and wiped her eyes, smiling back at him. "I've missed you."

"Me too."

Gohan smiled at the two of them before turning his gaze to the floor, fisting his hands in his pants. He didn't want to be the one to ruin their sweet moment, he really didn't.

Maybe this was a bad idea, after all…

"Gohan?"

The boy flinched, realizing Piccolo had his hand on his shoulder, eyeing him in concern.

"Oh, I'm fine…" he said reassuringly. "Just… apprehensive is all."

Piccolo squeezed his shoulder. "You'll be fine." he replied. "Everything's going to be just fine."

Gohan nodded. "Y-Yeah…"

Piccolo turned to Goku. "Goku, you were wished back by Porunga, right? How did you get here so fast?"

Goku turned to him and scratched the back of his head. "Well… I searched for Dende's energy so I could instant transmit to the Lookout but… for some reason I found yours first." the saiyan frowned. "Come to think of it, your energy was rising a lot when I found it. Why was that?"

Gohan and Piccolo's eyes widened. Oh, no.

What was he supposed to say to that? That never happened to Goku when he had the heart disease, did it?

"U-Uh, well… I was… My powers kind of fluctuate when my chest hurts…" Gohan lied.

"Strange, that never happened to me…" Goku said, putting a hand to his chin in thought.

"Well…"

"It's probably because he's still a kid." Piccolo cut in.

Everyone looked at the Namekian. Piccolo elaborated. "Gohan's body isn't fully matured, so the pain is probably greater than yours was. He probably released energy trying to keep calm." he explained, hoping to Dende that it made sense to the thick headed saiyan.

Goku nodded. "That… makes sense, I guess." he said. Gohan shot a grateful look at Piccolo before turning to his dad.

"I, uh… I think we should let the others know…" he said. Goku nodded in agreement.

Gohan made to get up when a sharp pain shot through his body. The boy let out a short yelp before collapsing to the ground, fisting a hand in his shirt above his heart.

"Gohan!" Goku shouted. Gohan grit his teeth. Damn, not good…

His hair flashed gold. Gohan's eyes widened in panic. No, he had to suppress it before Goku found out…!

The half saiyan pushed his power down, the stress of his actions taking his toll as he let out a cry of pain. His increasing panic and hyperventilating was not helping, either. However, he was determined to keep his condition a secret and continued to suppress whatever energy he could.

"Gohan, Gohan breathe! Calm down!" Piccolo urged.

Gohan complied, forcing himself to settle down. That worked in his favor, apparently, as it became easier to control his powers. Bringing his energy back to a stable level, Gohan began to pant heavily, the hand fisted in his shirt falling to his side weakly. He was exhausted.

"Gohan, are you okay?" asked Goku, worriedly.

"F-Fine…" he rasped. "J-Just… Just really, really tired…."

Piccolo picked up the half saiyan, eyeing his mother. "I'm going to lie him down." he said. Chi Chi nodded numbly, her hands clasped together in worry.

Goku looked at her. "Has it… always been like this?" he asked.

Chi Chi turned her gaze to the floor, shaking. "He only started having break downs… a month ago or so…" she replied. "I'm… I'm really worried Goku, he's never been like this before…"

"Hey…" Goku placed his hands on her shoulders, smiling reassuringly. "I know for sure that he'll make it through this. We know that… he's going to die, but… we can just wish him back with the dragon balls, right?"

Goku pulled her into a gentle hug. "Everything's gonna be just fine, Chi Chi." he said softly. The woman's eyes closed softly and she smiled a bit.

"Yeah… you're right…" she agreed.

Piccolo, who'd heard the entire conversation from outside Gohan's doorway, sighed. If only they knew he wouldn't be coming back…

His hold on the now sleeping Gohan tightened.

This was just not fair.

* * *

After Piccolo put Gohan to bed, the namekian walked outside to find Goku getting ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

Goku turned to him. "I think I should go ahead and tell the others I'm here." he said. "No doubt one of them has sensed me by now."

Piccolo nodded. "I'd have to say Vegeta, if anyone." he mused. Goku chuckled.

"Probably." the man floated up to where he could see the nearest city at the base of Mount Paoz. "I'm gonna leave now. You coming?'

Piccolo shook his head. "No, I'm staying here with Gohan." he answered. "I need to look after him."

Goku smiled a bit. "Did Chi Chi put you up to it?"

Piccolo narrowed his eyes. Was this man serious? Did he really think Piccolo wouldn't look after the kid of his own choice? And better yet, did he really think his harpy of a wife would ask _him_ of all people to look after her _own_ son? Chi Chi and Piccolo were on good terms and the woman was fine with his presence in their home, but she wasn't comfortable enough with him to straight up ask for favors.

"No, of course not. I do it by choice, Goku." he replied. "You should know that."

The saiyan smiled softly. "Right, I should've known." he said. "Thank you, Piccolo."

The Namekian nodded and Goku took off toward Bulma's house. Piccolo turned and walked back in the house to check up on the kid.

He sighed. He and Gohan were gonna have a rough time the next few weeks.

…curse you, destiny.

* * *

To say that Vegeta was surprised to find Goku's presence on Earth was an understatement.

The man was lounging on the roof of the Capsule Corp. building, wasting the time away.

He'd been thinking about Gohan's disappearance at the party a month ago. It was odd; the kid's energy had skyrocketed out of nowhere. It was as if his energy went out of control.

Was that it? Was that why he left so suddenly? But if that way the case, why didn't he say anything about it?

The boy was definitely hiding something. And for some reason or another, Vegeta was determined to find out what.

What was the reason? He didn't know. But something in him was telling him to find out what was wrong with the half saiyan, to keep an eye out for him.

However, for the first time in a long period of time, Vegeta decided to ignore his instincts and simply dropped the issue.

Now, of course it wasn't that simple. He couldn't just drop the subject and forget what happened-it was too strange not to. The urge to check on the boy kept nagging him to the point where one day he decided to just get up and go over to the kid.

What he found was rather shocking to him.

 _The boy was asleep in bed, which in itself seemed normal enough. Vegeta scoffed at his foolishness and turned to leave when a groan sounded from the open window._

 _That got his attention._

 _The saiyan prince looked inside again. His eyes widened when he found Gohan writhing around in pain, moans softly falling from his mouth. Vegeta stared as he groaned again, his hand automatically going to his chest._

 _What on earth…?_

 _Vegeta suddenly felt this boy's energy skyrocket as his hair started to flash yellow._

 _He was on the verge of transforming from the amount of energy being released… But, why was his energy releasing?_

 _Gohan's eyes snapped open as he shot up with a cry. Vegeta ducked, suppressing his energy so as not to be found. He peered over the windowsill slightly, finding that Gohan was breathing heavily, seemingly trying to calm himself down._

 _That… wasn't right,_

 _There was no way that had occurred because of a heart disease._

 _Vegeta growled and quietly made his way into the woods before flying back to Capsule Corp., more than upset that he was lied to by the half breed._

Vegeta didn't tell Bulma or anyone else about what he saw. It would only make them want to interrogate the kid, inevitably resulting in more lies.

The saiyan continued to think about what he saw, not giving a care in the world to the numerous people that stared at him from the streets.

And then he felt the presence of the one person he'd despised the most.

Vegeta shot up, his eyes widening in denial as he focused on the presence he felt.

No… No, it couldn't be… It was impossible, Kakarot couldn't actually be…

There was no way.

Vegeta wondered if he should go investigate the matter. There was a chance, albeit a small one, that he was wrong-that it was someone else.

But who else would have that signature, or that much power?

It wasn't Gohan; Vegeta could sense the boy's energy and distinguish it from the new one. They weren't the same.

So then, it had to be Kakarot. There was literally no one else in the world that could have that energy signature.

The saiyan prince growled and made to find the new presence when he realized it was approaching _him_.

What…?

The closer the presence got, the more certain Vegeta was that it was Goku, But if that was the case, why had no one said anything about it?

Surely he wasn't that detached from the rest of the earthlings. Bulma would've told him, wouldn't she?

But it felt like _him._

A figure came into Vegeta's line of sight, earning the saiyan's attention. Narrowing his eyes, Vegeta made out a person clad in…

orange.

…it was him.

Goku approached Vegeta and grinned widely, stopping to float in front of him.

"Vegeta! Hi!" he greeted.

Vegeta could barely form words in his mouth. "K-Kakarot… What are you…?"

"Oh, yeah…" Goku's grin melted into a frown. "I'm sure you heard what happened to Gohan…"

Vegeta regained his bearings quickly and nodded. "I have." he practically growled,

"I… decided to come back. So I could be by his side."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed. Did he not tell anyone? Did he just decide to come back without telling anyone? "Who knew you were coming back?" he demanded.

"Well, Gohan and Piccolo found out… but that was about ten minutes ago, so…" Goku said. "I contacted them through King Kai to tell them that I was coming home."

"And you didn't give them time to tell anyone?"

"No, I… I couldn't wait, Vegeta, I…"

The prince huffed. "I see. Who else knows you've returned?"

"Besides Chi Chi and you, no one."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. He came to him before the earthlings? Why?

"Why did you come to me first?" he asked.

Goku laughed sheepishly. "Well about that… I was really looking for Bulma, but I found you first…"

The prince scowled deeply before it melted into a soft frown.

Should he tell Kakarot about his suspicions? Should he tell him about what he saw at Gohan's house, what happened to the boy? Should he tell him that his son is lying?

…no. No, if he told him, the fool would no doubt confront the hybrid about it. Gohan would only clam up more.

"If you're looking for the woman," he started. "She's in her lab."

"Ah, okay. Thanks, Vegeta." Goku took off, leaving a very disturbed saiyan prince.

"They're lying… One of them is definitely lying…"

* * *

Goku met with Bulma, who became ecstatic when she found that her friend was back with them. After meeting her parents and baby Trunks, Goku decided to return home to check on Gohan.

Goku walked into the room, leaving the door somewhat open. Gohan was fast asleep, Piccolo was seated at his side, only acknowledging Goku when the saiyan approached him.

"Is he okay?" the saiyan asked softly.

"Yeah, for now."

"Okay, well… I think… I think I'm gonna…"

Piccolo eyed him. "You're going to what?"

"I think I'm gonna go out and train."

The noise that escaped Piccolo's throat was unholy in every regard.

* * *

What?! Goku wants to _train_?! Now?! Oh my Dende, who woulda figured?!

(Almost everyone).

So, last update until the end of the month. This was meant for the end of September but stuff happened so…

Double mass updates in a month?

Anyway, I got a preview for the next chapter. Check it outie.

/PWEVEEW/

 _"Where's dad?"_

 _"He went out."_

 _"To do what?"_

 _"To train."_

 _"…what?"_

* * *

 _"Piccolo?"_

 _"Yeah, kid?"_

 _"…do you think… Do you think my dad doesn't care about us? About me?"_

 _"Why would you think that?"_

 _"I mean… If he did, wouldn't he have decided to come back rather than leave us to stay in Otherworld? And speaking of which, why did he want to stay in Otherworld? It can't be because he thinks we'd be better off without him."_

 _"…I don't know, kid."_

* * *

 _"Why?" his eyes narrowed in anger. "Why did he do that? Why did he make me fight them? Why did he stay in Otherworld?!_ _Why did he leave me?!_ "

* * *

…yep. Next chapter: more of Gohan's doubts revealed, a visit to Dende, and a theory tested. And what does Goku do in the meantime? Take a guess.

NOW, BE PREPARED,

BECAUSE THE CONFRONTATION IS SET TO BEGIN…

SOON. (pwobably Novemba)

…

Ja ne~! (Teehee)


	13. Chapter 13 - Stress Reliever

Time is ticking away…

Tick tock,

tick tock…

Note: Things may get confusing in this chapter regarding Gohan's condition, so I'll explain everything at the end of the chapter.

I don't own DBZ.

* * *

Gohan shifted in his sleep before slowly opening his eyes. He groaned. What happened…?

Oh. Right.

He slowly sat up, his muscles aching in protest. Ugh, how long had he been out…?

"You okay?"

Instantly recognizing the deep but gentle voice, Gohan smiled. "Yeah… I'm fine, Piccolo."

The Namekian nodded and placed a hand on the boy's head. "You released a lot of energy that time." he said. "You were trying really hard to contain it, weren't you?"

Gohan nodded slightly. "It released more than ever before. I barely transformed." he replied, frowning. "I… I panicked."

Piccolo went silent for a minute before letting out a sigh, standing. Gohan eyed him.

"I think it's time we see Dende again." the namekian said. "I have a feeling he can help relieve you of some stress."

"What kind of stress?" asked Gohan.

"I'm talking about the stress of keeping your energy contained." Piccolo's eyes narrowed, a steely look plastered across his face. "You've been struggling to keep your energy contained this whole time, haven't you?"

Gohan stiffened. Piccolo frowned. "I knew it."

It was true; Gohan had been trying to keep his energy contained ever since his break down at the picnic. After he'd woken up at home, he realized his energy had constantly been leaking since he collapsed. So to combat this, he put up restrains over his power. Every minute he was in consciousness, he'd constantly be suppressing his leaking energy. However, the strain of having to constantly suppress his power took its toll, leaving Gohan exhausted. The half saiyan hadn't told Piccolo about it. However, it seemed that Piccolo had figured it out anyway, and had only waited to confront him about it until the namekian was sure he was doing it.

"I… I'm sorry, Piccolo, I just… I was scared. I am scared of what'll happen if I become too relaxed." Gohan explained, looking down guiltily. "I didn't want to worry you…"

Piccolo sighed, sitting next to Gohan on the bed and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Kid, you should know by now that I'll just worry more if you don't tell me."

Gohan nodded silently. He would be the one to worry his best friend.

Briskly shaking his head for fear of having another episode, Gohan pushed away all his negative thoughts and sighed. "Sorry."

Piccolo squeezed the boy's shoulder. "It's okay, kid." he replied. "I get it."

The corners of Gohan's mouth stretched up a bit. He eyed Piccolo. "How long have I been out?" he asked.

"About an hour."

"Is Dad still meeting everyone? Or is he back?"

Piccolo tensed. Gohan frowned worriedly. "Piccolo? What happened?"

The namekian looked away, thinking back to his encounter with the saiyan not ten minutes ago.

* * *

" _I think I'm gonna go out and train."_

 _A wordless, ugly noise bubbled out of Piccolo's throat. "You what?!" Piccolo grit his teeth in anger. "You're going to go train?! Look at Gohan, he just had an episode and you're going to go_ _ **train**_ _?!"_

 _Goku nodded confusedly. "Well, yeah? He's fine now, isn't he?" he asked._

 _Piccolo could only gape at the man. His son, his_ _ **own son**_ _, just broke down in front of his own eyes and now he was going to go train as if nothing happened?!_

 _No. No, Piccolo was more than done. No wonder Gohan hated the guy; his father was nothing more than an idiot._

 _The namekian sighed. "No, you're right. Go ahead, do what you want. I'll be here." he muttered, hiding his sarcasm with an exhausted tone. Goku nodded and casually hopped out the window, flying away. Piccolo looked back to his unconscious student, sighed heavily._

 _This boy had too much to handle…_

* * *

"Piccolo?"

The namekian shook his head, frowning.

"Where's dad?"

"He went out."

"To do what?"

"To train."

"…what?"

Piccolo was a bit more than surprised to find Gohan in shock and… anger? Gohan was mad? Not that he didn't have any reason to be, but… It was weird to see the boy upset.

Gohan clenched his fists. "H-He's training? While I'm stuck in bed after…?" the boy stared at his white bedsheets, stunned. "…I can't believe him."

The half saiyan turned to his mentor in disbelief. "H-He'd never… He'd never do something like that, would he? He wouldn't just up and leave while I'm unconscious, while mom's…"

He grit his teeth. "That's ridiculous. That's absolutely ridiculous!"

Piccolo gestured for him to breathe. "Calm down." he reminded gently. "Don't lose yourself."

Gohan inhaled deeply through his nose before looking at his hands with a frown. "…I don't get it. It's always been like this."

"Like that?"

"Ever since I was a kid, even before Raditz showed up, dad's been infatuated with training. And I don't mean like something he's really passionate about, or even a habit. It's an obsession. I… feel like I'm on the receiving end of that."

"How so?"

"Think about it, Piccolo? When was the last time you've seen the two of us doing something together besides training?"

"He was there at your birthday."

"And before that?"

"What about the three years he was-"

"No." Gohan eyed him. "That entire time we trained. We took breaks, sure, but… does he really take care of me as much as he should in comparison?"

Piccolo couldn't answer. Because Gohan was right.

"Dad's been gone practically my whole life." the boy said bitterly. "And when he's here, we're either training or eating. I haven't grown up the way I should, Piccolo, I grew up with my life on the line at all times. I can't help but feel he's responsible for that."

It was true, Goku was responsible for making Gohan fight a lot of people. The boy had been on the brink of death so many different times, and most of the times Goku was either involved with the enemy in some way or could have stopped the boy from fighting in the first place.

"…you have a good reason to." was all Piccolo said.

"Piccolo, is it wrong to think… that maybe he's been… neglecting me?" Gohan fiddled with his bedsheets nervously. "I mean… yeah, he's trained me, but…" His eyes narrowed. "…has he actually ever raised me like a son?"

No. No, he really didn't.

"I… D-Does dad even care? Or is… is he just that oblivious to everything?" The boy asked.

Piccolo honestly could not answer that. Sure, Goku definitely loved his son. But did he care as much as he should have? He really didn't know.

However, he couldn't just leave the boy with no answer. That would be cruel.

"I'm sure he loves you, Gohan." he replied uncertainly. "Just… Sometimes he's too caught up with other things to realize how much he…"

"Disregards me?" Gohan offered dismally.

Harsh. But still true, Piccolo had to admit. He nodded.

Gohan sighed. "Sometimes I wish he didn't make me fight. Sometimes I wish I wasn't a hero, as selfish as that is."

"It isn't selfish of you to not want to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders." Piccolo objected softly.

"It is, though. It's my duty now. I was practically born into it." Gohan scowled, his brows furrowing. "And I… honestly, I hate it. I hate being the hero. I hate having to save everyone. And I hate myself for feeling that way, because that's just horrible…"

"No it's not. You should never have had to save everyone. We're all fighters, but that's because we want to be. You never wanted to be a fighter." The namekian looked away. "I suppose I'm to blame for dragging you into all that in the first place."

"N-No! I'm glad you did. If it weren't for you, I'd never have gotten strong enough to fight the saiyans."

"You shouldn't have had to do that."

"I guess… But, I needed some form of defense, right?"

The same claim could be used to justify Goku's actions though, couldn't it? Was Gohan just looking for some excuse to… No, no he'd never want to resent his father. He was too good for that.

Piccolo decided to challenge him. "Goku did the same thing, no?"

Gohan's scowl deepened. "No. No, he wasn't making me stronger to help me defend myself. He made me stronger to defeat Cell. He didn't even try to reach the next level himself, he just gambled on me like I was a weapon."

That was true. That was probably the most accurate thing the kid's said.

Gohan sighed. "Piccolo?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"...do you think… Do you think my dad cares about us? About me?"

"Do you think so?"

"No."

"Why do you think that?"

"I mean... if he did, wouldn't he have decided to come back rather than leave us to stay in Otherworld? And speaking of which, why did he want to stay there? It can't be because he thinks we'd be better off without him. That's a straight up lie."

Once again, Piccolo was at a loss. "...I don't know, kid." was all he could manage.

Gohan fell silent. The tension in the air was thick enough to be palpable, and both of them hated it. Piccolo wanted to drop the conversation as quickly as possible, and from the look on the boy's face, so did Gohan.

"Kid," Gohan turned his gaze up from the floor. "We're going to the Lookout."

"Right now? What about-"

"She'll be fine. It won't take too long."

"...okay."

Picking up the half saiyan piggy back style, Piccolo walked out of the house and took off, Gohan's fists clenched tightly into his cloak.

* * *

It was weird.

Dende had been observing Gohan and Piccolo from the Lookout for a while now. And the things that Gohan had said about his father, well… At first glance, Gohan didn't seem like the type of person that was capable of hating anyone, let alone his own father.

At the same time, however, he understood where the hybrid was coming from. It was sad, neither him nor his father deserved any of this.

The guardian turned to Popo, who laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "I understand why you are disturbed, Dende. But, try to relax. You will hurt your hand gripping that staff so hard."

The namekian boy didn't even realize he'd been squeezing the staff so hard until he noticed the cramps in his palms and fingers. Switching hands, he heard a pair of feet land on the ground.

He turned and smiled knowingly. "I've been expecting you guys. Everything okay?"

Gohan half hopped, half fell off of Piccolo's back, yelping as he lost his balance. Piccolo was quick to steady him, sighing as Gohan gave a sheepish chuckle. Both turned to Dende.

"I need to you do me a favor." said Piccolo.

"What do you need?"

"I want you to see if you can find out why Gohan keeps having all his episodes, and why he's been so exhausted as of late. With all that energy flowing within him, you'd think he'd constantly be hyperactive."

Dende walked over and had Gohan sit on the floor. Extending his arms, his aura appeared around both of them. He closed his eyes.

"What are you doing…?" Gohan asked in awe.

Popo answered for him to let the guardian concentrate. "It's a namekian technique that allows them to feel the life force and strength of an individual much more strongly that by simply sensing energy."

"I see…"

Dende opened his eyes, his arms falling to his sides. "You've been constantly suppressing your energy for the past few months now, right?"

Gohan nodded.

"That's been putting stress on your body. You're tiring out easily because the majority of your strength is being put into keeping it contained."

"What do you suggest we do?" Piccolo asked.

Dende went quiet for a minute before speaking. "Stand up, Gohan."

"Okay." he stood up shakily and eyed Dende in confusion.

"Alright, I want you to release your hold on your energy. Or better yet, just let some of your power release."

"What?! But, if I do that, everything'll release all at once and I'll die!"

Dende shook his head. "That'll only happen if you let everything go, or if your panic. Just let some energy out. Trust me, you'll like what you get."

"Are… you sure?"

"Positive. Go for it. And uh, Piccolo, you might want to step back."

Piccolo hesitated for a second, but then conceded. He had faith in Dende. If not him, then Nail.

Gohan inhaled deeply, finding his hold on his power. The half saiyan went rigid, visibly tensing up.

Dende, who had backed up somewhat, smiled reassuringly. "Relax, Gohan." he said calmly. "You'll be fine, trust me."

Gohan nodded and exhaled sharply through his nose. Clenching his fists, he closed his eyes and let some of his restraints fall.

What happened next was rather incredible, in Piccolo's opinion.

A wave of warm energy rushed out in a ripple, with Gohan being the epicenter. The half saiyan felt himself power up and nearly panicked. Dende, who could tell from the look on his face that he was starting to fright, cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Don't panic, Gohan!" he yelled. "Just let yourself transform, trust me!"

Gohan nodded. Whether it was in compliance to Dende or an attempt to reassure himself, he didn't know. Letting his energy run through him, he transformed into a Super Saiyan. His aura shined brightly around him, hair waving like fire.

"Keep up the transformation for about fifteen seconds, okay?" Dende asked.

"Okay!"

Fifteen seconds soon passed, and Gohan felt some of the constant ache he'd been having in his muscles start to fade out. He powered down slowly, suddenly feeling a lot better. The half saiyan looked to dende with wide eyes.

"What… was that?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

"Simple. By letting some of your energy release, you relieved yourself of some stress on your body." Dende explained. "You've been containing your energy for so long, so your body's been having to work twice as hard, leaving your exhausted. It's been taking it's toll; the stress of keeping up your restraints is wearing you out. By letting your power out, you're letting your body relax."

"That… felt good. I feel better now."

"You should." Gohan smiled gratefully.

"Thanks a lot, Dende."

The guardian sighed and grinned. "You can put up all of your restraints again." he said. "Try doing that every now and then. It'll help a lot, trust me."

"Alright."

Piccolo stepped forward. "Why not let him constantly release energy rather than in short bursts?" he inquired.

Dende shook his head. "That's a bad idea. If he has another episode, it'll be harder for him to control his energy." he replied. "Your episodes happen as a result of your energy growing from strong emotions. It gets harder to control when you aren't calm. If you happen to have one and your power isn't completely contained, it could be a problem."

"Well, why can't I just let myself transform while I'm having an episode?" asked Gohan.

"No." Dende said, his tone harsh. "No, that would be the absolute worst thing to do."

"Why?"

"Because when you're having an episode, your power is increasing. If you let yourself transform, it'll release way too fast and you might…" Dende gulped. "You might self destruct."

Gohan's eyes widened. Piccolo grunted in acknowledgement. "Okay. Thank you Dende, Mr. Popo."

Dende smiled again and walked up to Gohan. "I hope things'll turn out as good as they can." he said. Gohan smiled bitterly. "Me too."

Piccolo tapped Gohan on the shoulder and gestured for him to climb on his back again. Dende giggled a bit. That was adorable.

Piccolo gave Dende a deadpanned stare. "What?"

He simply grinned and shook his head. Gohan rolled his eyes good naturedly and they left. Dende's smile faded.

"How much longer does he have? I need to check that…"

* * *

Gohan flopped down on his bed, letting out a ragged sigh.

"Y'know… I've been thinking." he started.

Piccolo eyed him from the window. "About what?"

"Why did dad leave? He said it was for the best, but… I honestly don't think that was the case. I mean, just because he's not here doesn't mean we won't have any more battles. Freeza didn't even know he existed until he showed up to fight him, right? He's the second strongest fighter here, of course we need him for battles, if not because we love him! Do you think that maybe… he stayed in Otherworld for other reasons?"

Piccolo crossed his arms. "No, I think he did stay in Otherworld to protect us. He probably had the right intentions. However… I don't think believe he was thinking logically about the situation. His heart was in the right place but he wasn't thinking straight. Why else would he want to stay in Otherworld?"

"Probably for special training…" Gohan muttered.

Piccolo's brows raised. Man, the kid was bitter. Not that he could blame him, though.

Gohan clenched his fists. "I just don't get it." he grumbled. "Why did he stay there? Does he not care at all? Is he that dense?"

The half saiyan sighed harshly. "He's always been like this." he muttered. "He's always been so oblivious to all the chaos that goes on around him."

Piccolo had to agree. The man was the densest thing on the planet; it was infuriating. He's always been so carefree about things. Now look what's happened. Gohan's going to die and stay dead, and damn it all it was Goku's fault and no one else's.

"Look at me. Look at us." Gohan grit his teeth. This was maddening. "How much will it take? How much will it take for him to see how careless he is? He hasn't learned a thing since freaking Raditz; God forbid the entire planet has to be sent into a perpetual damnation for him to learn!"

Piccolo looked at the ground in bitter frustration. Look at what you've done to the kid. He's supposed to be happy, but instead you've condemned him, Goku.

Gohan screwed his eyes shut. "Why didn't he let me live in peace? Why did he make me fight so many people?" he spat. "Why did he decide to stay in Otherworld? Why did he leave us?! Leave me?!"

Piccolo stepped forward, stretching his arm out toward the boy. "Hey, calm down." he said. "You'll lose yourself."

Gohan inhaled shakily and unclenched his hands, his eyes filling. "I don't get it…" Warm drops fell from his eyes onto the pillow. "Why did he leave me alone here…?"

Piccolo laid a hand on the boy's head, softly stroking his temple. "Don't worry about that, kid." he whispered. "Just go to sleep."

Gohan nodded silently and closed his eyes, soon falling unconscious. And Piccolo stayed by his side until he would hear the knock of a once fiery, now quiet woman named Chi Chi. She left a glass of water on the table, kissed her son's head, and nodded to Piccolo before leaving them in peace.

Goku would only arrive an hour later.

* * *

Okay, I'm sure at least one of y'all is confused about Gohan's condition. I'm gonna try to keep this short and sweet, but bear with me if it gets lengthy.

Gohan's power is too great for his body toi contain and is steadily growing as each day passes. We know that. We also know that his episodes are triggered when his emotions get too unruly and his energy starts rising too fast. And we also know that Gohan's body is weakening, and it's being put under a lot of stress.

We've just found out that the reason for the stress is because he's constantly been trying to suppress his power. Why is he doing that? Because it's constantly been leaking this whole time and he's too afraid of dying to leave it alone. To combat this, he's constantly been restraining it.

We've also found out that he can transform (when completely calm) by letting SOME of his energy release and loosening his hold on his power, in a sense. By doing this, he's letting his body relax a bit as it isn't under that much stress. This soothes the pain he has to deal with on a daily basis.

Will this cause episodes? No. As long as he's completely calm while releasing energy, he'll be fine.

Will this cure episodes? No, because his episodes are linked with his emotions, not the energy he releases. His energy only fluctuates dangerously when his emotions aren't under control. He has to remain calm at all times and _not panic_.

If you have any questions about his condition go ahead and ask me about them cause I am more than positive there's a plot hole hidden somewhere in there.

I'm sorry this took so long to get out. Honestly, this new schedule isn't working for me at all. Luckily, December's coming up so once I take care of midterms I should be good to go and then I can start updating every other week again. Thanks for your patience.

I don't have any previews because the next chapter… well, it kinda has a bombshell. A teeny one. It'll come out before the week is over, if all goes well (dont trust me).

Well, that and it's a montage chapter, really. Why is it a montage chapter?

...because it's the last chapter before we kick off the confrontation.

I'M HYPED AND I WROTE THAT SCENE OVER A YEAR AGO. SO BE HYPED. I WANNA HEAR THE HYPE. Cause in all honesty, it gets me encouraged to do things faster and better.

That being said, please review! Sayonara~!

...

(Teehee)


	14. Chapter 14 - Ignorance

Yep. I'm officially back to my old schedule. Cuz the other one ain't working and break's almost here, so... ye.

Cue montage before the big event chapter.

I don't own DBZ.

* * *

Goku came back a while later, looking rather happy despite the situation.

No shock there.

Gohan decided to try and read Goku's mind while he was there (which probably wouldn't be long at all). He had to be aware of what he wanted to know, though, and then get Goku to think about it.

"Uh... S-So, dad... H-How was Otherworld?"

Goku's face lit up. "Oh yeah! It's amazing, you wouldn't believe how many fighters there are..."

Gohan smiled a bit. There, easy enough.

Piccolo, who knew Gohan's plan to read his father's mind, continued asking Goku questions to let the boy concentrate. Gohan partially blocked out his father's banter and inhaled softly, reaching out to Goku's mind.

Invading a person's mind was tricky-especially with those that were experienced in mentality. While Goku was more practiced and better with physical aspects, the saiyan still had a good sense of security and wasn't one that could be mentally shaken easily.

However, Gohan was confident that Piccolo's training would pull him through.

The mind is one of the most sensitive parts of a person's being. That sensitivity makes it nearly impossible to invade a person's mind without going unnoticed. However, it can be done. The "victim" simply had to be distracted. Specifically, they had to be in a position where they would be completely off-guard.

Goku was, at the moment.

Slowly entering his father's mind, Gohan saw multiple images of Upper Heaven. Visions appeared before him, and most of them were of Goku training. There were a couple that showed Goku acting disturbed or questioning King Kai about him, but those were few and far in between. It was... mostly training.

For some reason, that kind of ticked Gohan off.

Gohan's presence caught hold of Goku's current thoughts. Not one was a thought of concern for him.

That really ticked Gohan off.

Carefully bringing himself to reality, Gohan clenched his fists before faking a yawn that he hoped had sounded real enough to Goku.

"That's... That's great, dad. But, uh... I'm kinda sleepy... Do you mind if I take a nap real quick?" Gohan asked.

Goku quirked an eyebrow at him. "Didn't you just take a nap?" he questioned.

Gohan's eyes widened. Damn, he forgot all about that.

Luckily for him, Piccolo had his back. "He's been awake for a while now. He tires out easily because of the stress from his... condition."

Goku nodded. "That makes sense." Thank Dende. "Okay, then. Sleep well, son." With that, he walked out of the room, hands folded behind his head.

Gohan frowned hard. "He didn't think about my condition once. Not once." he spat. "Why? Is it because he's dealt with the heart disease so he thinks it's not that bad? Even though what I really have is a lot worse..."

It was funny.

"Knowing Goku, he probably just doesn't want to think about it." Piccolo replied.

"I think that's kinda selfish, to be honest..."

"I don't argue with that."

Goku, _the_ Goku, didn't even care that his son was dying. Or at least, he didn't show it.

That was a funny thought. Goku not caring should be impossible. He was Goku. He cared about everybody.

Or so he thought.

Gohan sighed heavily, looking at the ceiling. "...sometimes I wonder if... maybe he stayed in Otherworld because he just got bored of us."

"Bored?"

"Yeah... I mean, he was the strongest person on the planet beside Cell and I. And Cell had to die, so I would be the only one who could give him a run for his money. Maybe he realized that I was too strong to match him so... he decided to be with people that matched his own pace."

Piccolo frowned a bit. "I'm not sure I can believe that... Goku wouldn't do that."

"I know... I know, but... I just..." Gohan looked at Piccolo in confused sadness. "Why did he leave us, then? Why didn't he come back?"

Piccolo shook his head. "I don't know kid... Maybe he did stay for our own good."

Gohan looked down. "I want to believe that... But I just can't..." he whispered.

He lied down, curling into himself.

"I... can't."

* * *

A week flew by fast. During the time, Goku caught up with Chi Chi and his friends, spending his time trying to find out what he'd missed. Every morning, before he went out to train, he'd check in on Gohan to see if he was okay. Gohan slept through every visit, and Piccolo was never there to tell him as he only came later in the day. But Gohan still knew his father came, because every time Goku dropped by to have lunch with him, Gohan would check to see what the man did.

It didn't make him feel much better.

This time, when Goku left, Gohan punched the mattress beside him.

"He comes by, watches me for a minute, and then leaves to train. For Dende's sake, can't he find anything better to do than train?!" he growled in frustration.

Piccolo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. You're going to have another episode." he warned.

Gohan inhaled before letting himself transform, releasing some steam. He reverted back to his base state, wringing his hands together.

"Y'know, I've been thinking." he started. "Ever since I first became a super saiyan in the time chamber, dad only focused on doing one thing."

"What's that?"

"He... He focused on helping me ascend."

Piccolo's eyes widened. "What?"

"I mean... he never said it outright, but I could tell... He'd have me push my limits, and from time to time he'd try and make me mad so I'd get stronger... It wasn't anything like the training we had when he came back from Yardrat. It was more intense, and was mostly driven toward some sort of ascension." Gohan explained. "What I'm confused about is... why didn't he try and get stronger, either?"

Piccolo crossed his arms. "I don't understand it, either. Before you ascended, you two were practically equals." he said. "Perhaps he knew that you were the only one that could ascend because of your energy's tendency to increase with your anger."

Gohan shook his head. "That isn't necessarily true." he said.

Piccolo flinched. "What?"

"I've been thinking about how I transformed..." the boy mumbled. "...and from what I experienced, it honestly wasn't just because of my hidden power."

"What are you saying?"

"All I needed to transform was the trigger, which was 16's death. When dad became a Super Saiyan on Namek, all he needed was a trigger, which was Krillin's death."

"So what you're saying is..." Piccolo trailed off, eyes widening in horrified realization.

Gohan nodded gravely. "If I'm right, then this whole ordeal could've been avoided. I wouldn't have had to die and neither would have dad."

It was funny.

The man that had saved and helped so many people in his life sentenced his firstborn to death.

Hilarious, really.

Piccolo gaped in shock for a couple of seconds before gritting his teeth in rage. "I'm going to kill that bastard!" he exclaimed. "This whole time, he could've-"

"Piccolo."

The Namekian turned to Gohan, who shook his head.

"We don't know if that's true or not. And even if it is..." Gohan smiled bitterly. "...it's too late to do anything now."

Piccolo hated that look.

* * *

Before Gohan or Piccolo had realized it, the month had ended, leaving the half breed with only one more before he had to die.

Gohan was reading a book, humming to himself as Piccolo meditated beside him. It was a pretty good book; he'd only just started reading it a couple days ago and now he was 15 chapters in.

To be fair, though, he did have a lot of time to kill.

The boy flipped the page, eyes traveling to the first word before a voice resonated through the air.

" _Hello? Gohan?"_

Piccolo opened his eyes and looked up. Gohan closed the book, making sure to mark the page before setting it on the bedside table. He forced a smile; for whom he wasn't sure.

"King Kai?" he asked. "What is it?"

" _I just wanted to check in, see if you were okay, all things considered..."_

Gohan resisted the urge to be sarcastic. "I'm... good." he said awkwardly. "As good as I can be."

" _Is Goku helping you at all? Does he know about... your real condition?"_

"No." Gohan replied. "I haven't told him yet. But... I'm planning on doing it soon."

" _Okay, I just wanted to know."_

Gohan's brows furrowed. "King Kai?"

" _What's up?"_

"I've been thinking about something. Do you think... that maybe my dad could've ascended too, if he trained hard enough?"

Silence was all that he was given in return. Then,

" _I don't know, Gohan... I mean, technically all he really needs to transform is the trigger, so..."_

Gohan scowled. "I knew it." he growled. "So then I never had to die, and neither did he. He was just too reliant on me to actually put the effort into it." His fists clenched tightly. "How could he?"

" _Yo, you're right, y'know."_ A different voice...

Gohan flinched. "Who...?"

" _A-Ah, yes!"_ It was King Kai's voice this time. _"Gohan, Piccolo, this is the Grand Kai."_

Gohan's eyes widened. "Grand Kai?"

" _He's the king of the entire galaxy. There are four kais under him: North Kai, West Kai, East Kai, and South Kai. I'm the North, meaning I govern the northern quadrant of the galaxy. The Grand Kai is the king of the entire galaxy."_

"Uh..." Gohan wasn't sure how to respond. "P-Pleased to meet you, uh, Grand Kai..."

" _Aw, don't make the kid all shy, North Kai!"_ The other voice was back. _"You can just call me GT, kiddo."_

"GT?" What did that even stand for?

" _Grand Tycoon, of course!"_

Tycoon? Why tycoon, of all things...?

Gohan frowned. GT...

For some reason, he didn't like the name.

"Uh... I have a question, Gr- uh, GT." Gohan said sheepishly. He looked over at Piccolo, who hadn't said a word.

" _Knock yourself out, bucko."_

"You know my dad, right? The saiyan from Earth?"

" _Oh yeah, that guy! I like him, he's a cool dude. What about it?"_

"Well... do you think he could have ascended to a level beyond Super Saiyan, if he really tried to?"

" _Sure he could've. As long as he was determined to do it, and something set him off, he could have ascended to a higher level."_

Gohan went quiet for a moment before replying. "...okay. Thanks a lot, GT."

" _No problem, kiddo. Now if ya don't mind, I'm gonna go take care of some... business real quick. Nice talkin' to ya, bud!"_

"Y-You, too..."

Silence fell over the three, not one knowing what to say. Gohan didn't even want to talk-he was too upset to.

" _Gohan...?"_

He exhaled heavily. "Yeah, King Kai?"

" _I'm sorry... I had no idea, I..."_

Gohan shook his head. "No, it wasn't your fault. You had nothing to do with this. I should be the one apologizing for getting you killed..."

" _No! That wasn't your fault, Gohan. Goku was the one that decided to... you know."_

Gohan hummed in agreement.

It was true. And funny.

Goku had gotten three people killed, because of his own ignorance to his father's pleas to end the battle quickly. He really was a murderer.

And it was really funny. The son of Goku, a killer of innocent people.

It was ironic.

Gohan paid his goodbyes before eyeing Piccolo. They shared a long look before Gohan grinned both sadly and tiredly. And he said in a very hoarse yet quiet voice:

"Told ya so."

* * *

A long while passed since then. Gohan had been doing what Dende told him to, transforming every now and then to relive himself of some stress. It helped a lot, actually. Enough for Gohan to convince Piccolo to let him take a walk. Granted, the Namekian would be coming with.

While transforming helped relieve stress, Gohan would still have episodes every now and then. However, Gohan realized it was a good thing as it helped crush any suspicion Goku might gain about his condition. If he stopped having episodes all together, Goku would suspect he was lying to him.

Which he was. But he didn't have to know that yet.

Gohan also realized that his body was starting to weaken more despite the stress relieving. It was only a matter of time, he knew that. Transforming helped him deal, but like Dende said, it didn't heal.

The hybrid was more than positive that sooner or later, one or more of his organs would shut down on him, or something would rupture and make him bleed from the inside. Gohan knew what it was like to cough up blood after being punched in the stomach multiple times.

He didn't like it one bit.

The student and his mentor walked through the forest until they reached a clearing. Gohan had found this place not too long ago. It was somewhat hard to find, considering how small the clearing was. It had a small lake, or maybe a really big pond. A cliff overlooked the water, and it was also where a small waterfall was that led into the lake. The sight was rather pretty, in his opinion. As far as he knew, Goku didn't know the place existed.

The walk there hadn't been stressful or difficult. However, Gohan could feel his body deteriorating by the minute. He refrained to tell Piccolo, though. He wanted to make it here first.

They stood there in silence, listening to the sounds of birds chirping and water rushing down the cliff and into the lake. Gohan felt his father's energy not too far away, and judging by the way it fluctuated, he could tell the man was training. How convenient.

But he did not let that perturb him. He just wanted to relax.

Unfortunately, that would not be happening. His chest suddenly felt tight, as did his stomach. His eyes widened before the pain got to him and he let out a cry of pain, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Gohan sunk to his knees, his fist pressed against his chest. Piccolo dropped down to his side, holding his arms.

"Hey! What is it?" the Namekian asked, growing increasingly concerned.

The half saiyan ignored him, focusing on his father's energy. He wondered if he heard him...?

He was still training. He supposed he didn't.

It was really funny.

Gohan grinned, blood freely dripping from his mouth. He chuckled a bit before breaking into full on laughter.

Piccolo frowned deeply. He didn't like the sound. It was too painful. Gohan saw his discomfort, too.

But he kept laughing. He laughed even though it hurt like hell. He laughed even though he was losing blood, fast.

He laughed so much that he started to cry.

Tears of mirth flowing freely, mixing with the red on the ground. It hurt, it hurt more than anything, but through it all, he grinned madly.

"Gohan, stop!"

He did. He didn't stop smiling, but he did.

He didn't stop smiling as he saw the shocked faces of both Piccolo and his father.

He didn't stop smiling as he saw his father begin to shake.

He didn't stop smiling as he saw his best friend look at him in fear.

He didn't stop smiling because it was too damn funny.

He saved the world and now he was going to die. And the person he hated for it was Goku, of all people.

It was beyond hilarious.

Drawing in a deep breath, he whispered:

"I'm just... really, really tired..."

Because hating someone he loved took a lot out of him.

And he slept.

* * *

Gohan awoke a while later. It was evening, judging from the dark sky outside. Looking around, he saw that Piccolo was absent. The lights were turned off, the only light in the room emanating from the outside. Gohan made to sit up when he suddenly become aware of a second presence in the room, one that was seated right beside him.

His dad was asleep, his head resting in his arms crossed over the mattress. He snored softly, indicating that he wasn't completely unaware of his surroundings.

Gohan's eyes narrowed. What the heck was he doing here? Why was he here and not with mom or Piccolo?

Shaking his head, he sighed. Goku probably was only worried because he'd made a scene. The man wouldn't be here if he didn't.

His eyes narrowed. He was done with this. It was time; he was going to break it to him. He couldn't hold back any longer. He was going to tell him-no, everyone-the truth.

Looking at the calendar on the wall, he looked for the day's date. The first unmarked one was the 16th. He closed his eyes, hugging himself.

Two weeks left.

It was time to fess up.

* * *

Next chapter, y'all...! Ahh, I'm so excited! This honestly feels kinda rushed...I'm not completely satisfied with the length of this one, but I feel like it's time to kick off the exodus.

Next chapter (squeeaaal) should be out in two weeks. Please review!

Ja ne~!

...I may be lying about something.


	15. Chapter 15 - YOU KILLED ME

I said two weeks, but I lied.

Tick… Tock… Tick…

The clock slows down.

I don't own DBZ.

* * *

Goku awoke with a yawn, his eyes watering. Was it morning already…? He scrubbed at them vigorously before narrowing his eyes in an attempt to clear his blurry vision. Blinking a few times, he realized someone was watching him.

"Good morning." Gohan said emotionlessly. Goku raised a brow in confusion. Why was he giving him such a blank stare?

"Is something wrong?" Goku flinched a bit before grinning slightly.

"Nah, just thinking." he said, ruffling the boy's hair. Gohan didn't react at all, prompting Goku to awkwardly retract his hand. Scratching the back of his head, he chuckled.

"Well, I'm gonna go-"

"What were you thinking about?"

Goku eyed the boy confusedly when he cut him off. Gohan turned his head to him, a surprisingly sharp look in his onyx eyes. Goku lowered his hand, confused.

"What?"

"What, were, you, thinking about?" Gohan repeated slowly, as if speaking to a child. His voice held no sarcasm, though; it was purely blank.

It was weird coming from Gohan. Unsettling. Creepy, even.

Goku didn't like it very much. He didn't trust any of this.

"U-Uh… Just… wondering why you were up so early…" he lied, concerned about his son's… weirdness. He couldn't find a better word for it.

"It's already nine."

Goku jumped, his eyes widening. "Oh, crap! I overslept!"

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Why is that a problem? You don't have anything planned, do you?"

His father grinned. "Yeah, but I missed my early morning training exercises."

Something like anger appeared in Gohan's features for a split second, but Goku couldn't be sure. Gohan exhaled softly, closing his eyes. "Right." he breathed. "You should go check on Mom and then you can go tra… exercise."

Goku nodded. "Okay." he said. Reaching out, he placed a hand on the boy's head.

"I'll see you soon. Love you, kiddo." he said with a smile.

Gohan's eyes opened to look at him. He did not respond. Goku took it as an "I love you too" and turned to leave, shutting the door behind him. He placed a hand on the door, an ominous feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

Why did he feel like something bad was going to happen soon?

Shaking his head, he sighed. It was probably nothing.

Probably.

* * *

Gohan looked for his father's energy and sighed in relief when he found it miles away. Good.

Sitting up, he crossed his legs to sit lotus style. He closed his eyes and exhaled, releasing all tension in his body. Today was the day.

He meditated for about ten minutes before sensing Piccolo's energy approaching. He smiled, ready to tell Piccolo he was ready to confront him.

Piccolo landed outside the window and Gohan walked up to it, smiling. "Hi." he said.

The Namekian nodded in return, smiling. "You're up and walking around. Feel better?"

Gohan looked down a bit, still smiling. "I'm ready."

"For what?"

He looked at his mentor with conviction. "I'm ready to tell him the truth. I'm ready to confront him."

Piccolo's eyes widened a bit in slight surprise. "Now?" he questioned.

Gohan nodded. "Yes." he answered. "I want to come clean. This has gone on long enough, he needs to know what he did. Besides… I can't keep holding out much longer…"

Piccolo frowned. He knew what that meant. Dende's suggestion to release energy had indeed helped Gohan cope with his body aches and stress. But just as the guardian had said, it was not a cure. His body was starting to give out, and like before, something would burst or stop working in him and he would die even faster than anticipated.

In other words, Gohan was progressively becoming a corpse. But this time, more painfully.

The half saiyan crossed his arms over the window sill, resting his head in them. "I wanna try reading your mind without being noticed again. That okay?"

Piccolo nodded. The Namekian proceeded to ramble, trying not to focus on his mind. He had to leave himself open, something that most people trained in the mind would find difficult. Piccolo could pull it off though.

Gohan closed his eyes and eased his presence toward Piccolo's mind. He made sure that Piccolo was completely distracted before slowly entering his mind. Several thoughts came to him, one by one.

" _Is he okay?"_

" _Goku, that idiot."_

" _I can't bear to see you die…"_

Gohan left Piccolo's mind, coming to. He smiled sympathetically at the Namekian.

"You don't have to watch it happen, if it's that hard for you." he said softly. "I understand."

Piccolo flinched, before smiling a bit. "You did it, kid… I couldn't tell you reading my mind."

Gohan didn't answer, opting to stretch an arm through the window and place a hand on Piccolo's shoulder. His eyes were brimming with tears.

"It's okay…" he said, his voice breaking. "You don't have to be there for me… I get it…"

Piccolo's eyes widened before he shook his head, reaching out and cradling Gohan's head with a hand. Leaning forward, he bumped his forehead with his friend's.

"No. I want to be there." he replied. "I want to be there for you as long as you continue to live, kid."

Gohan's eyes widened, before he climbed out of the window to eye Piccolo face to face.

"…you'd do that? For me?"

Piccolo nodded, placing a hand on Gohan's head. "You know I would."

Gohan's eyes filled once more before he buried his face in Piccolo's shirt, gripping the fabric. He shivered once, then twice, before falling into quiet sobs. Piccolo just stroked his back, silently trying not to let out a shuddering breath.

He failed.

* * *

Late in the afternoon, Goku returned. However, this time he had company. Company meaning all the Z fighters, Vegeta, and Bulma.

Goku looked to see if Chi Chi was asleep, which she was, before walking to Gohan's room and opening the door. The boy was lying on the bed, seemingly asleep, while Piccolo sat on the bed besides him.

"Why is everyone here?" the namekian asked, not missing a beat.

"Well, I decided to have a little get together and talk, y'know?"

"…I see. Do you want me to come?"

Goku's smile turned bittersweet. "You don't have to if you don't want to." he replied.

Piccolo answered by turning back to Gohan, making no move to leave. Goku nodded to himself before walking over to the boy, placing a hand on his head.

"I'm here, son." he murmured. "I'm right here for you."

He never noticed the cold teal eyes that glared at him as he walked out the door.

Goku walked outside to find everyone gathered around the door, all questioning Gohan's condition.

"How is he?" Asked Yamcha.

"He's fine. He's sleeping right now. He looks really pale, though…" Replied Goku, looking down sullenly.

Krillin sighed. "Poor kid. He doesn't deserve this at all..."

The others nodded sadly in agreement. Goku clenched his fists and looked down.

Bulma noticed the man's odd behavior.

"What's wrong Goku?" She asked.

Goku sighed.

"Gohan... He's been acting weird lately… I mean, he's been acting… cold, I guess. Locked away…" he replied. "I'm not sure how to describe it."

"Withdrawn, maybe?" Bulma offered.

"Yeah, that's it." Goku crossed his arms. "…I just, I don't know why. I can't see why he's acting like that."

"You never were very good at reading signs."

Everyone turned to the source of the comment and gaped. Gohan was standing in front of the door, transformed into a Super Saiyan. He looked fine despite the sweat dripping down his face. Piccolo stepped outside behind him, moving to stand near the door with his arms crossed.

"Gohan, why are you outside? Son, you need to rest." Goku said, concerned.

"Why do you care?"

Some gasped at the question.

"Gohan, what are you talking about? Why wouldn't he care?" Asked Krillin.

"Of course Goku cares! He's your father!" Bulma chipped in. "He loves you!"

"…does he?"

Another collective gasp came from the group. Goku gave him a shocked look.

"Of course I do!" He said. "Why would you ever think I don't?"

"Yeah! Your dad really loves you! I can't believe you'd even suggest that! What's up man?" Asked Yamcha.

"If you can't figure it out then I'm not going to tell you." Gohan replied evenly. "You should be smart enough to realize what I mean, dad. If you can't, it just proves you really are an idiot."

Goku's face contorted into an astonished expression that was present on the rest of the group's faces, save Piccolo, who remained still with his ever stoic face, and Vegeta, who had an amused look in his eyes.

"I'm going to tell you the truth and I'm not gonna sugar coat it for you." Said the half breed. "I hope you're ready for this, because I can guarantee you won't like it."

Goku gulped at his son's cold tone and nodded slowly, despite being completely and utterly confused. What did he mean by, "the truth?"

Gohan leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms.

"I ascended to Super Saiyan 2 at the Cell Games. You all know that much at least." He said to Vegeta's annoyance. "What you didn't know was that most of my training that occurred after I became a super Saiyan was focused on helping me ascend."

The Z fighters turned to Goku in shock. Goku paid them little attention, choosing to focus on his son's words. Gohan continued.

"I eventually did ascend, despite only being able to sustain the form for a couple seconds." He said. "You knew I'd be able to beat Cell at that point." He gave a pointed look at Goku, who nodded in response.

"You were counting on me ascending during my match with Cell, which is why you weren't worried. You decided to make that your saving grace."

Goku nodded again, not entirely sure where this was going.

"You obviously didn't think about the side effects of the transformation or the impact it would have on my body, or else you wouldn't have enforced it so much during our training."

"I had to, Gohan! It was the only way we could've beaten Cell!" Goku countered.

Gohan shook his head and closed his eyes. "Now that I can transform into an ascended super Saiyan and have learned how the form works, I can say that you could've transformed back then as well."

Goku and Vegeta stared at him in shock.

"But how?" asked Vegeta. "Kakarrot said he wasn't strong enough!"

"Oh, he was strong enough, all right. He just needed the trigger."

The two saiyans looked at him in confusion.

"The transformation requires extremely intense emotions, like those brought on when someone you care about dies or gets hurt. Goku could've transformed if he had been in my shoes."

No one said a word, their gazes trained on Goku. Vegeta decided to break the silence, curious as to what the boy was saying.

"What exactly are you getting at, boy?"

"I'm going to tell this ignorant fool the truth." He said. Vegeta's eyebrows rose at the insult. Everyone besides Piccolo gaped, wide eyed. What on Earth was Gohan _saying?!_

"You never really did care about me did you? No, your whole life revolved around one damn thing." Gohan snarled at his father, who was too shocked to able to scold him for his language. Gohan scoffed and continued.

"Can you harbor a guess at what that thing was, Goku?" He asked. "Or should I call you by your real name? I should; you clearly are as heartless as a saiyan. So tell me, _Kakarrot_ , what was it that your whole life revolved around?"

Goku's mouth opened but he was unable to form words in his mouth. What was going on? What were all these things that Gohan was saying? What did he even _mean?_

"Okay, since that one was too hard for you I'll ask something else." Gohan sneered. "What did you do the majority of the time you were in Otherworld?"

Goku, having regained enough of his composure to respond, decided to answer. He replied, unaware of what his son was getting at.

"I trained the majority of the time."

Piccolo scoffed. Gohan's face formed into a steely glare.

"You never thought about us once, did you…?"

Goku was just about to protest when Bulma cut him off. "Gohan! Of course your dad thought about us! He's the most kind, pure hearted, and caring man I know!" She exclaimed.

"Caring…?" Gohan's face became dark. "I thought I told you not to lie to my face, Bulma."

Another collective gasp came from the group.

"What are you talking about?!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"Gohan!"

Gohan scoffed. Goku stared at his son. "You... Can't be serious..." He stuttered.

The group erupted in whispers and mumbles of disbelief. Bulma turned to the boy with a sharp eye. "Gohan stop talking such utter nonsense! Your dad DOES care!"

 _"Then why did he leave me?!"_

Gohan's energy sparked, forcing Bulma to stumble back a few steps. Piccolo walked over and placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. He settled down, still a Super Saiyan.

Gohan sent Goku a withering glare, completely livid.

"You abandoned me and mom _twice_! You refused the dragon's request to return to Earth after you defeated Freeza, and then you decide to stay in Otherworld and left us again! All because you wanted to train and to learn some new technique! Do you have any idea what that did to us?!" Demanded Gohan.

Goku could only stare at that point. Gohan clenched his fists and continued.

"When Mom found out you refused to come back she was devastated! She got so lonely and I was the only one at home to help her through it! She went through so much heartache and I couldn't bear to see her like that!" He yelled. "Do you know how much it hurts to see your own mother cry herself to sleep for weeks on end…?!"

Goku stared at his son in shock. Did Chi Chi really miss him that much? Did his decision really have that much if an impact on their lives?

Goku began to get lost in thought when Gohan spoke again.

"When you decided not to come back that first time, I was under the constant impression that this life just wasn't enough for you." He said. "I was worried that, what with you becoming a super Saiyan and all, we hadn't been good enough for you. That I wasn't good enough for you."

Goku stared at his son with wide eyes. Gohan was affected by his refusal to come back THIS much? And why would Gohan EVER think he wasn't good enough for him?

Gohan snapped him out of his thoughts again.

"I know now why you left, and honestly, staying on Yardrat for a couple months just to learn the Instant Transmission wasn't all that important like we initially thought."

Everyone turned to Goku once more.

"That's why you refused to come back?" Asked Yamcha.

"I never..." Goku murmured.

"I already know. And I can prove it." Replied Gohan.

He closed his eyes for a minute. Everyone stared at him in confusion.

"What's he doing?" Asked krillin. Piccolo smirked, easily recognizing what his pupil was doing.

"I'm not sure, but I think-" started Tien.

"Go'u."

Everyone turned their attention to Gohan, who was… _smirking_ at Goku.

"What?"

"Go'u. That's what Meki called you." Said Gohan. "He was the son of the guy that taught you the instant transmission."

Goku gaped. "When... did you...?" He stuttered.

Meki was the son of one of the doctors that lived on Yardrat. He was only about 3, and he didn't know how to speak properly yet, only able to refer to Goku as "Go'u." Goku never told anyone about that, so how did Gohan know?

He flinched as he found a presence probing through his mind, floating around slowly before leaving.

"You... Read my mind... But why didn't I notice it until now?" Asked Goku.

Gohan smirked. "I have Piccolo to thank for that."

Goku turned to Piccolo, who made no move to acknowledge him.

"I trained with Piccolo when you were in space. When I could, anyway. I didn't want you to be disappointed in me. If you ever came back, anyway."

Goku shifted his gaze to his son. He knew he had to defend himself, but he was too shocked to try. Slowly, he began to regain his bearings so he could retort, but he didn't know how to approach his son. Or how he could retort, for that matter.

"Then you decided to stay in Other World after Cell was defeated. You probably didn't even think about Mom, did you? I can't believe you left her like that!" Gohan glared at his father with a ferocity that would put even Vegeta's menacing looks to shame.

"Do you have any idea what mom was going through? She was _pregnant_! She needed help! I didn't know how to help her when she needed it! Besides, that was your responsibility!" Gohan snarled. "And how could you stay in Otherworld, knowing that your other son is about to be born? The least you could do is be there for him! Especially after you screwed up my life!"

Everyone gasped at the statement. Goku shook his head vigorously, suddenly getting annoyed with his son's behavior.

"I didn't screw up your life, Gohan! I just-"

"You what? You forced me to train and fight your battles? Like when I fought Freeza and his goons?"

"You decided to go to Namek, and you knew there was a possibility that there would be a fight! I never forced you into any of that!" Goku countered.

"We all knew there was a chance that we'd have to fight, but not even YOU expected warriors like Freeza to be there!" Gohan shot back. "And you did force me to fight!"

"When? Gohan, I never-"

"You made me fight Ginyu! You made me fight Ginyu in _your_ body! Do you have any idea how hard that was?!" Gohan yelled.

"You were mature enough to do it!"

"I was _five_! That was one of my first battles! Can you really expect your son to be able to fight you to what seemed to be the death without any fear or hesitation at all?!"

Goku stayed silent at that. Gohan made a good point.

"Then you forced me to fight Cell! I was terrified when you first said I'd be fighting! He could've killed me!"

"I knew you'd be able to do it! And you did!"

"And what would you have done if I couldn't transform?"

"..."

"Can't answer that one can you? Then how about this. What would've happened if I couldn't transform?"

Goku stayed silent.

"I would've died." Gohan answered. "And you and everyone else would've died as well. All because you carelessly took a chance at something. Face it, you put everyone's lives on the line by taking that risk."

"But you did defeat Cell."

"That's still one dangerous risk to take. Did you even take that possibility into account? Because if you didn't, then we were pretty darn lucky I did transform."

"Well, yeah, I guess."

"Stop taking this so lightly…" Gohan seethed. "This isn't something trivial."

Goku began to get irritated. Why was his son blaming him for all those things? It's not like it was his fault those things happened.

...was it?

"It's your fault mom had to deal with her pregnancy pretty much by herself! It's your fault Goten will never know what really happened to me! And it's your fault that my life was ruined!"

Seven words were uttered then.

"Just like it's your fault I died?"

Only Gohan and Piccolo heard him mutter the remark. Both sets of eyes widened in shock, not expecting that in the slightest. The latter glared daggers at Goku.

"W-what...?" Gohan stuttered.

Goku, realizing his mistake, reached out to his son. Gohan whirled around, his hands clenched tightly at his sides.

"Gohan, wait, I-"

"I might as well just tell you right now..." He softly muttered.

"Tell me what...?"

"This isn't just for you to hear. It's something everyone needs to know."

Everyone had their gazes fixed on the boy. He stayed where he was, facing the door, his line of sight trained on the ground.

"Remember how I told you that the symptoms of my illness were signs of the disease dad had?"

Yamcha spoke for everyone. "Yeah, you told us that a while ago-"

"I lied."

Everyone looked on in shock, save Piccolo and Vegeta.

"But... Why?" Asked Bulma.

"I wanted to wait until the time was right... And I guess this is as good a time as ever. The only ones who know the truth are Dende, Piccolo, King Kai, and myself."

They all turned to Piccolo, who had his gaze fixed on his student. Opening up the mind link, he reached out to Gohan.

'I'm here, kid. I'm right here.'

'…thank you.'

Gohan took a deep breath.

"A while ago, Dende called me up to the Lookout to talk to me about something. He checked the state of my body to see if anything wasn't functioning, but we couldn't find anything. We asked King Kai, but he didn't know anything either, so instead we turned to the namekian dragon balls. Porunga explained everything."

The others waiting anxiously for him to continue. He sighed.

"The transformation gave my power a significant boost. But since then, my power has only continued to build."

The Z fighters gasped.

"So then, you're even more powerful than you were when you fought Cell?" Asked Tien.

Gohan nodded. "Yes…"

Everyone gaped at him.

"When I transformed, my dormant powers became active, almost like a volcano. That caused my power to build as more and more began to awaken. It's swelling."

The Z fighters stared, anxiously waiting for Gohan to get to the point.

"You know what Porunga said is going to happen?"

They stayed silent, worried about what was to come.

"I have 2 weeks left in this world."

They all gasped, save Piccolo. Goku stared at his son in astonishment.

"What...?" He whispered.

He looked at them with seriousness laced in his teal orbs.

"I'm going to die."

"How…? How has it-? How did this…?"

He turned his gaze to his father. "I was getting to that." He replied. "The Super Saiyan 2 form... The vessel, or the body, needed to contain that much energy needs to be fully matured to assume the form safely. I'm only 11."

Goku could only nod.

"You didn't take that into account did you?"

Goku flinched violently.

It _was_ his fault. It was _all_ his fault!

"This... Really _is_ because of me, isn't it? I forced you to transform... Even when you didn't..." the man murmured.

Gohan did not respond.

Goku's eyes began to burn. "I get it... How you'd blame me for all those things... And now you're going to die because I was so blind..."

"…B-But Goku… We can always wish him back, right?" asked Krillin.

"Wrong."

Krillin turned to Piccolo, who looked at him with sullened eyes.

"Even though Gohan's death won't be the result of an illness, it's still classified as death by natural causes. Meaning we can't revive him. It's the same as when Goku died in Trunks's timeline." The Namekian looked away, unable to say more. The others couldn't, either.

This was impossible. For once, someone would actually have to die, and _stay dead_.

Goku stumbled up to Gohan and fell to his knees, embracing his son.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... This... This is all my fault... You never even got to live a whole life and... I'm so sorry, Gohan..." He muttered, tears falling down his cheeks.

Everyone looked on at the scene. Bulma started crying as well. Krillin looked on with a horrified expression. Yamcha and Tien just looked away. Piccolo did nothing. Vegeta scoffed, but noticed something.

Gohan wasn't doing anything.

He was completely serene about the situation.

But why?

"You seem awfully calm about this boy." He commented, earning the 11 year old's attention.

"I've already accepted it." Said Gohan. "What's done is done. No use in being immature about it."

Gohan closed his eyes. His father had apologized. He was on his knees, crying. Goku was _crying_ , He was sorry, truly sorry.

But Gohan wasn't so forgiving. He couldn't forgive him, not after everything he'd been through. He just couldn't, no matter how much he wanted to.

It made him sad.

The boy let his father embrace him for a minute then clenched his fists. "Goku." He muttered.

Goku pulled away just enough to look at his son, who was still glaring at him.

"Gohan...?" He asked.

"I'm afraid sorry isn't gonna cut it this time."

Goku's eyes widened at the boy powered up, forcing the man to step back.

Gohan's aura faded, though, as he powered down to his normal state. He turned around but looked back at his father, his eyes still a piercing teal.

"You lost your chance, Goku. I'm too far gone now, you can't save me." Gohan turned his gaze back to the house. "The least you can do now is make sure your son doesn't end up like I did."

"Son-" Goku started, reaching out to Gohan.

"Don't call me that." Gohan snapped, his voice cold. "You're not my father anymore; you've already disowned me twice."

Goku stared at Gohan, stunned.

Gohan looked back at him, a sad frown on his face. "Don't look so upset. We'll meet again." He mumbled.

Goku's eyes filled with tears again as he heard the last thing his son said before walking back to his room.

"I'll see you in Hell, Kakarrot."

* * *

Oh my gosh.

I finally uploaded one of the chapters I've been so hyped to upload! Goku's realization was pretty sudden and seems really out of place to me, but this was the best place to set things off, I think.

Anyway, I'm gonna keep this short and sweet.

Please, please, PLEASE, review and tell me what you think! Criticism is fine; it's a huge help!

Next chapter may take a while to upload, so bear with me if it does. I'll try to have it sometime before/after Christmas, though. Speaking of, don't think this is the climax.

This is only the beginning of the exodus.

Again, please review! Bye~!

…I'm gonna give you a hint about what's coming.

 _Goku clenched his fists. He was ready to prove to Gohan that he did love him, that he did care about him, and most of all, to beg for forgiveness._

 _Even if this method was the last thing he would have thought to use._


	16. Chapter 16 - Left in Pieces

I'M NOT DEAD. And yes, I am "an emo edgelord." You would be correct.

A lot of times when you're writing, you only realize there are plot holes in your story until someone points them out. To the person that pointed out how it didn't make sense that the others thought they could wish him back even though death by natural causes can't be reversed, thank you.

Also, trying to write out Goku's thoughts was a lot harder than I'd expected, which is part of the reason why this took so long.

That and I'm the master procrastinator.

* * *

 _Sweet, sweet child_

 _Do not fear._

 _Father's here_

 _To dry your tears._

 _Sweet, sweet child._

 _Do not cry._

 _Father will hold you_

 _Til the day you die._

 _Sweet sweet child_

 _Your small hands shake_

 _Father knows_

 _Your wretched fate._

 _Sweet sweet, child._

 _Your heart has bled_

 _Father's left you_

 _Because now you're dead._

Tick… Tock… Ti…

The clock is about to stop.

I don't own DBZ.

* * *

Conflicted was probably the best word to describe Gohan at the point of time he was in.

Part of him was guilt ridden for making his father so heartbroken and upset.

Part of him felt it wasn't enough.

He'd retreated to his room after his confrontation with his father and locked the door, starting to sink in warring feelings of shame and anger. Curling into himself on his bed, he wrapped himself in his bedsheets and sighed.

He felt cold.

A soft knock sounded at the door, quiet and hesitant. Gohan had to resist the urge to groan. Wasn't it obvious he wanted to be left alone?

The person at the door knocked again, a bit harder this time. Gohan sat up, a shiver running down his spine. "Who is it?"

"It's me." Krillin, huh?

Gohan closed his eyes and shed his blanket, padding over the door and unlocking it. He didn't even open the door before walking back to his bed and seating himself, this time crossing his legs. Krillin opened the door, peeking in a bit, before completely entering. He closed the door softly behind him and looked to the half breed. Gohan couldn't take the man's gaze and looked away.

"What are you doing here?" he cringed a bit. That came out a bit more accusatory than intended. "Why aren't you with dad?"

Krillin shifted uncomfortably. "Well… I just… I wanted to… talk. If that's okay." he replied, rubbing his arm.

Gohan sighed, flopping down on his bed. "Sure. I don't mind." he said quietly. "I probably shocked you with what I said, huh?"

Krillin walked over to the bed, tentatively sitting beside him. "Well, that, yes." he answered. "But… I really want to talk about… how you blamed Goku for everything."

Gohan frowned. "If you're going to tell me off for yelling at my dad than don't. I'm not sorry." he said, only partly upset by the implication. "At least… not completely."

"I don't expect you to be."

Gohan sat up in surprise. He wasn't expecting that.

Krillin gave a weak attempt at a smile. "I mean, I don't expect you to be sorry for blaming him or not to blame him at all. You were right, he is kinda to blame for this. It's just…" he looked away. "...can you really blame him for everything that's happened? Can you really say it's _completely_ his fault that you're… y'know…"

Gohan frowned. "It's just… I can't believe he risked all of that without even thinking about the consequences. He pitted me against Cell with barely any regard for how it would affect me. It… it makes me wonder if he cares as much as I want him to."

Krillin put a hand on his shoulder. "I get it, kid. I do. I'd feel the same way if my dad did that to me." he replied. "But you have to believe me when I say that Goku cares about you more than you give him credit for."

Gohan shook his head, his throat starting to swell in anticipation of tears. "If he does then why, Krillin? Why would he not make sure?" he asked.

"Your dad didn't have many options, Gohan." he said. "It was either give everything we have against Cell or let the entire planet be destroyed."

"Then what about after? Why didn't he come back?" Gohan's eyes were filled to the brim with hot liquid.

"He probably legitimately thought it was for the best." Krillin answered. "You know your dad wouldn't abandon you and your mom without a good reason, right?"

Gohan shook his head miserably. "I don't know if I can believe that anymore, Krillin." he said. "He stayed on Yardrat for so long to learn the Instant Transmission." he grit his teeth. "How can I trust him…?"

Krillin's hand tightened around the boy's shoulder. "I know it's hard. But believe me, he'd never leave you or your mom behind to train. He loves you, kid. He does."

The tears in the boy's eyes had since fallen to the floor, leaving drying trails on his cheeks. Gohan scrubbed at his face with a sigh. "I… I don't know, Krillin." he said. "I… I just can't… believe that. I want to, I really do, but I… I _can't_."

The bald headed man understood well. "Well… at least think about it, okay Gohan?" he said gently. "And remember, we'll all be there for you when everything…. starts to happen."

Gohan nodded silently, prompting Krillin to stand and walk toward the door. "I'll leave you alone for now, kid. Go ahead and call me if you need me. I'll be right there, okay?"

This time, the boy did not answer. Krillin took this as a silent "yes" and walked out, shutting the door softly behind him.

* * *

Goku looked at the stream beneath him, the cold wind biting at his face and burning the wet cheeks he hadn't bothered to dry. He'd retreated a while ago, flying nowhere in particular when he found the place he, Gohan, and Krillin had gone to before the Cell Games.

Goku descended slowly, his feet dipping into the cold water. His boots weren't water proof and he didn't wear socks, so his feet had little protection against the freezing liquid. The man shuddered, and stepped onto the grass.

Goku plopped down and rested his head in his hands. He was still in shock. He had no idea just how much his son was hurting, how much he'd been left alone.

He never meant to abandon him. He never meant to break him. He never meant to kill him.

But in the end, he did all that and more.

He just wanted to save the planet. He just wanted to help the people he cared about. He just wanted to get stronger.

That wasn't selfish, was it? Was it selfish of him to want to get stronger?

It wasn't like he wanted to be stronger than anyone and everyone. He just loved to fight. It was in his blood, according to Vegeta. Was it a sin to love to fight?

Goku didn't know.

He sighed with a shake of his head. He needed to focus on getting his son's trust back. Gohan hated him, he _truly_ hated him. He couldn't let it be like that. He couldn't let his son die with a lasting bitterness.

He deserved much more than that.

Standing, Goku stretched and took off, contemplating his next move.

He would have to think much more carefully than before.

* * *

Gohan sighed, forcing himself to go out and get some fresh air. He was exhausted, and he had to admit his room was stuffy. Not even opening the window helped.

Laying down, he ran his fingers through the dewy grass, moisture collecting on his hands.

Now he felt hot.

He wished he could simply believe his father loved him. He wanted to trust him. He did.

But how could he?

Gohan stiffened, a familiar presence drawing near.

It was one he didn't particularly like at the moment.

The boy sat up as Goku landed nearby. The man's eyes widened when he caught sight of his son, as if he wasn't expecting him to be there.

Gohan rolled his eyes to himself. Right, because he _totally_ had the energy to go anywhere but two feet out of his house.

...he did, actually. But that was beside the point.

Goku walked up to his son, a slight cringe to his face. Gohan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yeah?" He asked. "What is it?"

"Uh, Gohan… Just… listen." Goku scratched the back of his head.

Gohan didn't respond, so Goku went on. "I know you're mad at me." He continued. "And I know you probably hate me for what I did, but… believe me when I say that I… I never, _ever_ meant to hurt you."

Gohan looked away. "Do you honestly expect me to take that…?" His voice was quiet. He felt Piccolo's presence nearby, probably observing the conversation from the woods.

Goku crossed his arms. "I was hoping you would."

"Don't bother."

Gohan stood, eyes shielded by his bangs.

"I don't want to hear anything. I don't care what you're trying to say." He said, voice sharp.

Goku frowned. "Gohan, please. I just want to apologize."

"I'm not giving you forgiveness."

"Son, _please_."

"No way." Gohan began to walk back into the house.

"Gohan, stop! What's going on with you, you know we can still change things!"

Gohan scowled. "Change what?" He bit out.

"Change things between us! You know, put things to rest! I just want to put this all behind us, Gohan…"

Gohan's fists shook, his previously forgotten hate now starting to boil again. "You don't get it, do you? I'm not gonna move along like this was just a bump in the road! And I'm not going to forgive you. Whatever apologies you make mean nothing to me! Just… stop."

Goku deflated. "Gohan, I'm… I know I can't change things but… please, just listen-"

"You want _me_ to listen?! You want _me_ to listen when you _never_ listened when I begged you to stay, when you left us for no reason whatsoever and I tried to tell you that I needed you?!" Gohan was seething at this point, eyes burning with hurt and anger. "i don't… i-i don't want to hear…"

Gohan looked away. Goku stepped closer, slowly but surely.

"Son… I understand if you can't forgive me, but please… Believe me when I say that-"

"I don't wanna hear anything from you!" Gohan stepped back quickly, his foot digging into the hard ground. "I've heard nothing but empty apologies… If you really cared you wouldn't have left!"

Goku felt his frustration beginning to rise. "Gohan, you're being childish. You know I mean what I say, I'd never lie to you!"

Gohan scoffed. "Oh, that's a load of garbage." He spat. "You don't care at all."

"Gohan, listen-"

"I said I don't wanna hear it!"

"Gohan-"

"Stop talking to me! I don't care, Goku! Not anymore!"

"Gohan-!"

" _Shut up, lying_ _ **bastard**_ _!_ "

A resounding slap echoed through the air, loud enough to spook all the birds in the trees. Gohan stared at the ground with wide eyes, a burning pain building in his cheek.

"That's enough, son." Goku said sternly. "Calm down and listen."

Gohan looked at him in shock. His eyes began to burn again, this time from betrayal.

"I know you're angry. And I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but… at least know that I am sorry. That I never, ever wanted to leave you." Goku tried a smile. "Come on, son. Let's just forget about all this, okay?"

Gohan's eyes were shielded by his bangs, hands still at his sides. Goku waited for a response, but did not get one. He reached out to touch the boy's shoulder.

"Come on, Gohan." His fingertips reached Gohan's shoulder and the boy jerked back.

"Don't touch me," Gohan grabbed the shoulder Goku tried to hold and backed up three paces, teeth grinding together.

"I don't want to hear anything! Don't you understand, _leave me alone!_ "

Goku ran forward when the boy took off, flying toward Mount Paoz. Goku made to follow him when a hand clamped over his shoulder, nails digging into his skin. Goku turned his head to find Piccolo shaking his head.

"Leave him alone." He said, voice surprisingly quiet. "He'll be fine. We need to talk, though."

Goku looked back to the mountain, fists clenching tightly. He pursed his lips and nodded.

* * *

Both flew away, heading toward what Goku realized were the wastelands Piccolo usually spent his time in.

Said namekian touched down on a cliff, Goku landing across from him.

"You need to get your act together." Piccolo said.

"Huh?"

"You really don't know, do you? Just how much he's hurting."

Goku frowned, fists clenching. "I do." He meant it wholeheartedly. He _did_ , he _really did_.

"He doesn't believe you."

Goku scoffed a bit. "Yeah, no kidding." He muttered. "I just… don't know how I can convince him that I am sorry, that I do… that I do love him."

Piccolo crossed his arms. "You can't let him die with this much hate, Goku."

"I know…"

"And that's all you have to say about it?"

Goku's energy spiked in frustration. "What else can I say?" He growled. "It's too late to save him… what more is there to do? He won't forgive me; he probably hates me more than Cell."

"And that's it? You're just going to give up?" Piccolo's voice was sharp. "I expected better from you, Goku. I thought you loved him."

"I do! I've said it a million times, I _do_ love my son!"

"If you really loved him you would keep trying to convince him of that. You would at least try to let him die in peace." Piccolo turned around, teeth gritted. "I suppose he was right, you really are selfish."

"...maybe I am."

Piccolo looked at Goku. He wasn't expecting that.

Goku looked away, eyes clouded and dull. "Maybe I am selfish. Maybe I am dumb. But…" Goku gave Piccolo a look so desperate it made the Namekian's stomach churn. "But I don't mean to be! I don't mean to hurt him, I would never want that! It's not that I don't care, _I just don't know what to do!_ "

Piccolo eyed him evenly for what seemed like years, before he turned around again.

"If you do care," he started. "Then think. Think _hard_. If you love your son as much as you say you do, find a way to prove it to him."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

Piccolo shook his head, back still facing the saiyan. "That's not something I can tell you, Goku." He replied. "If you're given the idea, he'll think you didn't even try to resolve this yourself. He won't trust you at all." Piccolo took a step forward, toward the edge of the cliff. "I'm not saying you can't get help. But if you take my ideas he'll know I told you what to do."

Goku watched him levitate a few feet, turning his head to him.

"You have to bring closure to this, Goku." He said, voice hard. "Only then will you get my respect back, and more importantly, Gohan's trust and love."

Piccolo's eyes narrowed, stating one last thing before taking off towards Mount Paoz to find said half breed.

"Don't you dare let him down, Goku. If you do, I swear on this world itself, I will make sure you regret ever coming back."

Goku sighed, sitting down heavily.

He felt cold.

* * *

Minutes passed, then turned into hours, and soon Goku found himself staring into the sunset. Still without a clue as to how to fix the situation.

He felt really cold.

Gohan would not believe him, no matter what he said. Piccolo could try and convince him that he was sorry, but as it stood, the Namekian was completely on Gohan's side.

...great, now he thought of this as "sides."

They say action speaks louder than words, something Goku had believed his whole life. Gohan believed the same to some extent, but when it came to fighting, all he wanted to do was settle things without bloodshed. It was naive, Goku had to admit that.

But that was one of things that made his son so pure and good hearted.

What action could he take to make his son realize that he was on his si-that he truly cared for him and that he was sorry? What could he do to convey his love for his own son? That should be simple. That should be _so simple!_

But it just wasn't. And Goku hated, truly _despised_ his helplessness.

Goku, locked in such intense thought, did not realize just how late it had been. Or that a certain saiyan prince had been designated to find him.

"Kakarot."

Goku flinched out of his thoughts to find Vegeta staring at him, arms crossed over his chest.

"Vegeta? What are you doing here?" Goku asked.

The prince scoffed, the scowl on his face deepening. "Your wife was worried because you were gone for so long. Mine asked me to find you for her." He was clearly irritable, probably because he was interrupted from training. Wait, he didn't train anymore, did he? Then why was he so annoyed?

"Oh…" Goku stood, a slight wobble in his step as his legs were asleep from sitting too long. "I'd better go, then."

Vegeta stared at him from his place next to the taller saiyan before scoffing again. "You look so utterly pathetic." He half snarled.

Goku blinked at him. What?

Vegeta stepped forward, placing his hands on his hips. "You've been thinking about Gohan. About how you're going to make peace with him."

"How did you know?"

Vegeta murmured something under his breath, probably some colorful insult, which Goku didn't catch. "What?"

The saiyan sighed. "What else would you think about after _that_?"

Goku thought it was a rather peculiar reason, but didn't comment on it. "And…? What about it?"

"I have a solution."

Goku's shot up. "What? You do? Tell me!"

Vegeta grimaced at the man's desperation but went on. "I don't know if Gohan will be open to this. However… it might work."

Goku nodded, hands clenching tightly.

"Fight him."

Goku's eyes widened. "What?! You can't be serious!"

"I know he's bedridden. You probably think this is the last thing he should be doing. But clearly he has enough drive in him if he is able to transform."

"What if that triggers something? What if he ends up dying in the middle of it?! Vegeta, that's-"

" _Would you rather he dies with hate? Are you seriously that ignorant?_ "

The strength behind the voice of the prince was enough to silence the other in an instant. Vegeta crossed his arms, scowling. "This is your only option, Kakarot. Fight him. Let him take out his frustrations on you. Let yourself hear what he has to say and make a stand. Make him realize that you care, either by sparing him or by beating it into him." The horror on the other saiyan's face would have been enough to make the prince laugh had they been in any other situation. "I doubt anything else will work. And if you think he's going to be in danger, then end it. Fast."

End it. Goku wondered what that could imply.

The saiyan looked at him warily. "Vegeta, i can't. He's my son."

Vegeta smirked. "You say that he's your son, and yet you're willing to do all the things you've done in training rather than spend time with him."

Goku looked away in shame, but then looked back at the prince with narrowed eyes. "Don't you do just that?" he accused.

"I know you think I'm being hypocritical. But my case is much different."

"How so?"

"My son is an infant with a mother and two grandparents to nurture him. And unlike you, I have no intention of putting him under the impression that I will be a very attentive father. I will never make him think I'll always be there for him, because I won't. Unlike you, I'm not a liar."

Goku's eyes widened slightly.

"Don't think I didn't notice it. It's obvious that he was, at one point, under the impression that you would focus your attention on him, or at least that you would be there. And as naive as that is, it is understandable. You put him under that impression when he was a child, didn't you?"

Goku didn't answer.

"Fight him, Kakarot. And I don't mean spar, I mean _fight_. If he doesn't want to, then force him to. I think he'll oblige, though. After that surprisingly scathing display earlier, I wouldn't put it past him."

"I don't know, Vegeta..."

Vegeta turned around. "It's your choice, Kakarot. Either find another way or fight him. Just remember that if you don't, he will not die in peace. You can't let him die that way. Trust me, it's one of the worst ways to die."

The saiyan closed his eyes. "He deserves better than that." he muttered under his breath. Goku heard that one. And he agreed; Gohan deserved _much, much_ more.

Taking a deep breath, Goku looked at Vegeta, one more question in mind.

"...why are you helping me? Why do you want me to help Gohan so much?"

Vegeta didn't answer right away, instead turning his head ever so slightly. Then,

"...he's a saiyan, like us. And he has much more honor than we could ever have."

And he left without another word, leaving Goku to take in his words. The younger saiyan watched the prince's form disappear before inhaling slowly and leaving for his house.

He was going to prove to his son that he loved him.

Even if this method was the last thing he would have thought to use.

* * *

Aight, I feel better about this chapter than the last one. I'm sorry this took so long (and I'm sorry ya gotta keep hearing my pathetic apologies), I decided I needed to focus on my studies for a while. But now that break's here (and about to end), I can work on this again. Yay!

Tell me what you think (and please don't just call me an emo edgelord. I'm aware.) cause feedback is encouraging and nice! Like chocolate.

I'm gonna try and update soon, but no promises.

Ja ne!


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